Waypoint creation in map detection

ABSTRACT

An augmented reality (AR) device can be configured to generate a virtual representation of a user&#39;s physical environment. The AR device can capture images of the user&#39;s physical environment to generate a mesh map. The AR device can project graphics at designated locations on a virtual bounding box to guide the user to capture images of the user&#39;s physical environment. The AR device can provide visual, audible, or haptic guidance to direct the user of the AR device to look toward waypoints to generate the mesh map of the user&#39;s environment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of and claims priority toU.S. application Ser. No. 18/152,412 entitled “WAYPOINT CREATION IN MAPDETECTION,” filed Jan. 10, 2023. U.S. application Ser. No. 18/152,412 isa continuation application of and claims priority to U.S. applicationSer. No. 17/475,121 (U.S. Pat. No. 11,580,709) entitled “WAYPOINTCREATION IN MAP DETECTION,” filed Sep. 14, 2021. U.S. application Ser.No. 17/475,121 is a continuation application of and claims priority toU.S. application Ser. No. 16/448,743 (U.S. Pat. No. 11,151,793) entitled“WAYPOINT CREATION IN MAP DETECTION,” filed Jun. 21, 2019. U.S.application Ser. No. 16/448,743 is a nonprovisional application of andclaims priority to U.S. App. No. 62/690,339 entitled “WAYPOINT CREATIONIN MAP DETECTION,” filed Jun. 26, 2018. This application claims priorityto each of the above-referenced patent applications. This application isrelated to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/690,401 entitled “SYSTEMSAND METHOD FOR AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY,” filed on Apr. 18, 2015.This application is further related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/859,277 entitled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUGMENTED REALITY,” filedon Dec. 29, 2017, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,767,616, entitled “RECOGNIZINGOBJECTS IN A PASSABLE WORLD MODEL IN AN AUGMENTED OR VIRTUAL REALITYSYSTEM,” filed May 8, 2015. The contents of the aforementioned patentand patent application documents are hereby expressly incorporated byreference herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods tofacilitate interactive virtual or augmented reality environments for oneor more users.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Modem computing and display technologies have facilitated thedevelopment of systems for so called “virtual reality”, “augmentedreality”, or “mixed reality” experiences, wherein digitally reproducedimages or portions thereof are presented to a user in a manner whereinthey seem to be, or may be perceived as, real. A virtual reality, or“VR”, scenario typically involves presentation of digital or virtualimage information without transparency to other actual real-world visualinput; an augmented reality, or “AR”, scenario typically involvespresentation of digital or virtual image information as an augmentationto visualization of the actual world around the user; a mixed reality,or “MR”, related to merging real and virtual worlds to produce newenvironments where physical and virtual objects co-exist and interact inreal time. As it turns out, the human visual perception system is verycomplex, and producing a VR, AR, or MR technology that facilitates acomfortable, natural-feeling, rich presentation of virtual imageelements amongst other virtual or real-world imagery elements ischallenging. Systems and methods disclosed herein address variouschallenges related to VR, AR, and MR technology.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to devices, systems,and methods for facilitating virtual or augmented reality interactionfor one or more users.

Further details of features, objects, and advantages of the disclosureare described below in the detailed description, drawings, and claims.Both the foregoing general description and the following detaileddescription are exemplary and explanatory and are not intended to belimiting as to the scope of the disclosure.

An augmented reality (AR) system can include: an AR display that canpresent virtual content to a user of the AR system; an outward facingcamera that can capture one or more images of the user's environment;and a hardware processor in communication with the AR display and theoutward facing camera, the hardware processor can be programmed to:generate a three-dimensional (3D) bounding box within the user'senvironment based on at least one image captured by the outward facingcamera; determine a first waypoint location on a first surface of the 3Dbounding box; determine a second waypoint location on a second surfaceof the 3D bounding box; generate a guidance indicator configured todirect the user to move the outward facing camera to point at the firstor second waypoint location; capture map data at the first or secondwaypoint location; and generate a map based on the map data using one ormore object recognizers, wherein the map can include a virtualrepresentation of at a portion of the user's physical environment. Themap can include a mesh map, a sparse map, or a dense map.

An augmented reality (AR) system can include: an AR display that canpresent virtual content to a user of the AR system; an outward facingcamera that can capture one or more images of the user's environment;and a hardware processor in communication with the AR display and theoutward facing camera, the hardware processor can be programmed to:receive at least one image of the one or more images captured by theoutward facing camera; determine a three dimensional (3D) region withinthe user's environment to map based on the at least one image; generatea plurality of waypoints, each of the plurality of waypoints comprisingat least one visual indicator having a spatial location in the 3Dregion; and cause the AR display to render a guidance visual, whereinthe guidance visual is configured to direct the user to move the imagecapture device towards a first waypoint of the plurality of waypoints.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Throughout the drawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicatecorrespondence between referenced elements. The following drawings andthe associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments ofthe present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the claims.

The drawings illustrate the design and utility of various embodiments ofthe present disclosure. It should be noted that the figures are notdrawn to scale and that elements of similar structures or functions arerepresented by like reference numerals throughout the figures. In orderto better appreciate how to obtain the above-recited and otheradvantages and objects of various embodiments of the disclosure, a moredetailed description of the present disclosure briefly described abovewill be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are nottherefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will bedescribed and explained with additional specificity and detail throughthe use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustration of a mixed reality scenario with certainvirtual reality objects, and certain physical objects viewed by aperson.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example of a wearable system whichcan implement an example waypoint system.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates aspects of an approach for simulatingthree-dimensional imagery using multiple depth planes.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an example of a waveguide stack foroutputting image information to a user.

FIG. 5 shows example exit beams that may be outputted by a waveguide.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an optical system including awaveguide apparatus, an optical coupler subsystem to optically couplelight to or from the waveguide apparatus, and a control subsystem, usedin the generation of a multi-focal volumetric display, image, or lightfield.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example of a wearable system.

FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method of renderingvirtual content in relation to recognized objects.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of another example of a wearable system thatincludes an example waypoint system.

FIG. 10 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method fordetermining user input to a wearable system.

FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method forinteracting with a virtual user interface.

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates an overall system view depictingmultiple user devices interacting with each other.

FIG. 13A illustrates an example virtual environment having a pluralityof map points detected from a plurality of keyframes.

FIG. 13B illustrates an example method of rendering using the worldmodel.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example relationship of sparse points to keyframepositions.

FIG. 15A illustrates an exemplary map potential data points representingan example physical environment.

FIG. 15B illustrates an example capture of a subset of the data pointsrepresenting an example physical environment.

FIG. 15C illustrates an example map comprising example captured datapoints that are fewer than all potential data points representing anexample physical environment.

FIG. 16A illustrates an example 3D region with at least one examplewaypoint.

FIG. 16B illustrates an example 3D region having at least one examplewaypoint in an example sequential observation.

FIG. 17 illustrates an example projection of an example waypoint on ascreen relative to a screen center.

FIG. 18 illustrates a 2D cross-section representation of an examplebounding box originating at a user.

FIG. 19A illustrates example waypoint locations on an example boundingbox.

FIG. 19B illustrates example sub-waypoint locations on an examplebounding box.

FIG. 20 illustrates a user moving within an example bounding box.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example guidance for a user to capture data atdifferent waypoints.

FIG. 22A illustrates an example guidance for a user to capture data atdifferent waypoints.

FIG. 22B illustrates another example guidance for a user to capture dataat different waypoints.

FIG. 22C illustrates an example guidance while a user is capturing dataat a waypoint location.

FIG. 22D illustrates an example guidance for a user to capture data atunmeshed portions of the user's environment.

FIG. 23 is a process flow diagram of an example method for mapping auser's environment with waypoints.

FIG. 24 is a process flow diagram of an example method for notifying auser of mesh completion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A. Introduction

Virtual and augmented reality environments are generated by computersusing, in part, data that describes the environment. This data maydescribe, for example, various objects with which a user may sense andinteract with. Examples of these objects include objects that arerendered and displayed for a user to see, audio that is played for auser to hear, and tactile (or haptic) feedback for a user to feel. Usersmay sense and interact with the virtual and augmented realityenvironments through a variety of visual, auditory, and tactile means.

Virtual or augmented reality (AR) systems may be useful for manyapplications, spanning the fields of scientific visualization, medicineand military training, engineering design and prototyping,tele-manipulation and tele-presence, and personal entertainment.Augmented reality, in contrast to virtual reality, comprises one or morevirtual objects in relation to real objects of the physical world. Suchan experience greatly enhances the user's experience and enjoyabilitywith the augmented reality system, and also opens the door for a varietyof applications that allow the user to experience real objects andvirtual objects simultaneously.

However, there are significant challenges in providing such a system. Toprovide a realistic augmented reality experience to users, the AR systemshould always know the user's physical surroundings in order tocorrectly correlate a location of virtual objects in relation to realobjects. Further, the AR system should correctly know how to positionvirtual objects in relation to the user's head, body etc. This requiresextensive knowledge of the user's position in relation to the world atall times. Additionally, these functions advantageously should beperformed in a manner such that costs (e.g., energy costs, etc.) arekept low while speed and performance are maintained.

There, thus, is a need for improved systems to provide a realisticaugmented reality experience to users.

B. Examples of 3D Display of a Wearable System

A wearable system (also referred to herein as an augmented reality (AR)system) can be configured to present 2D or 3D virtual images to a user.The images may be still images, frames of a video, or a video, incombination or the like. At least a portion of the wearable system canbe implemented on a wearable device that can present a VR, AR, or MRenvironment, alone or in combination, for user interaction. The wearabledevice can be a head-mounted device (HMD) which is used interchangeablyas an AR device (ARD). Further, for the purpose of the presentdisclosure, the term “AR” is used interchangeably with the term “MR”.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustration of a mixed reality scenario with certainvirtual reality objects, and certain physical objects viewed by aperson. In FIG. 1 , an MR scene 100 is depicted wherein a user of an MRtechnology sees a real-world park-like setting 110 featuring people,trees, buildings in the background, and a concrete platform 120. Inaddition to these items, the user of the MR technology also perceivesthat he “sees” a robot statue 130 standing upon the real-world platform120, and a cartoon-like avatar character 140 flying by which seems to bea personification of a bumble bee, even though these elements do notexist in the real world.

In order for the 3D display to produce a true sensation of depth, andmore specifically, a simulated sensation of surface depth, it may bedesirable for each point in the display's visual field to generate anaccommodative response corresponding to its virtual depth. If theaccommodative response to a display point does not correspond to thevirtual depth of that point, as determined by the binocular depth cuesof convergence and stereopsis, the human eye may experience anaccommodation conflict, resulting in unstable imaging, harmful eyestrain, headaches, and, in the absence of accommodation information,almost a complete lack of surface depth.

VR, AR, and MR experiences can be provided by display systems havingdisplays in which images corresponding to a plurality of depth planesare provided to a viewer. The images may be different for each depthplane (e.g., provide slightly different presentations of a scene orobject) and may be separately focused by the viewer's eyes, therebyhelping to provide the user with depth cues based on the accommodationof the eye required to bring into focus different image features for thescene located on different depth plane or based on observing differentimage features on different depth planes being out of focus. Asdiscussed elsewhere herein, such depth cues provide credible perceptionsof depth.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of wearable system 200 which can beconfigured to provide an AR/VR/MR scene and can include an examplewaypoint system described herein. The wearable system 200 can also bereferred to as the AR system 200. The wearable system 200 includes adisplay 220, and various mechanical and electronic modules and systemsto support the functioning of display 220. The display 220 may becoupled to a frame 230, which is wearable by a user, wearer, or viewer210. The display 220 can be positioned in front of the eyes of the user210. The display 220 can present AR/VR/MR content to a user. The display220 can comprise a head mounted display that is worn on the head of theuser. In some embodiments, a speaker 240 is coupled to the frame 230 andpositioned adjacent the ear canal of the user (in some embodiments,another speaker, not shown, is positioned adjacent the other ear canalof the user to provide for stereo/shapeable sound control). The display220 can include an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone) for detecting anaudio stream from the environment and capture ambient sound. One or moreother audio sensors, not shown, can be positioned to provide stereosound reception. Stereo sound reception can be used to determine thelocation of a sound source. The wearable system 200 can perform voice orspeech recognition on the audio stream.

The wearable system 200 can include an outward-facing imaging system 464(shown in FIG. 4 ) which observes the world in the environment aroundthe user. The wearable system 200 can also include an inward-facingimaging system 462 (shown in FIG. 4 ) which can track the eye movementsof the user. The inward-facing imaging system may track either one eye'smovements or both eyes' movements. The inward-facing imaging system 462may be attached to the frame 230 and may be in electrical communicationwith the processing modules 260 or 270, which may process imageinformation acquired by the inward-facing imaging system to determine,e.g., the pupil diameters or orientations of the eyes, eye movements oreye pose of the user 210.

As an example, the wearable system 200 can use the outward-facingimaging system 464 or the inward-facing imaging system 462 to acquireimages of a pose of the user. The images may be still images, frames ofa video, or a video.

The display 220 can be operatively coupled 250, such as by a wired leador wireless connectivity, to a local data processing module 260 whichmay be mounted in a variety of configurations, such as fixedly attachedto the frame 230, fixedly attached to a helmet or hat worn by the user,embedded in headphones, or otherwise removably attached to the user 210(e.g., in a backpack-style configuration, in a belt-coupling styleconfiguration).

The local processing and data module 260 may comprise a hardwareprocessor, as well as digital memory, such as non-volatile memory (e.g.,flash memory), both of which may be utilized to assist in theprocessing, caching, and storage of data. The data may include data a)captured from sensors (which may be, e.g., operatively coupled to theframe 230 or otherwise attached to the user 210), such as image capturedevices (e.g., cameras in the inward-facing imaging system or theoutward-facing imaging system), audio sensors (e.g., microphones),inertial measurement units (IMUs), accelerometers, compasses, globalpositioning system (GPS) units, radio devices, or gyroscopes; or b)acquired or processed using remote processing module 270 or remote datarepository 280, possibly for passage to the display 220 after suchprocessing or retrieval. The local processing and data module 260 may beoperatively coupled by communication links 262 or 264, such as via wiredor wireless communication links, to the remote processing module 270 orremote data repository 280 such that these remote modules are availableas resources to the local processing and data module 260. In addition,remote processing module 270 and remote data repository 280 may beoperatively coupled to each other.

The remote processing module 270 can include one or more processorsconfigured to analyze and process data or image information. The remotedata repository 280 can include a digital data storage facility, whichmay be available through the internet or other networking configurationin a “cloud” resource configuration. Data can be stored, andcomputations can be performed in the local processing and data module,allowing fully autonomous use from a remote module.

The human visual system is complicated and providing a realisticperception of depth is challenging. Without being limited by theory, itis believed that viewers of an object may perceive the object as beingthree-dimensional due to a combination of vergence and accommodation.Vergence movements (e.g., rolling movements of the pupils toward or awayfrom each other to converge the lines of sight of the eyes to fixateupon an object) of the two eyes relative to each other are closelyassociated with focusing (or “accommodation”) of the lenses of the eyes.Under normal conditions, changing the focus of the lenses of the eyes,or accommodating the eyes, to change focus from one object to anotherobject at a different distance will automatically cause a matchingchange in vergence to the same distance, under a relationship known asthe “accommodation-vergence reflex.” Likewise, a change in vergence willtrigger a matching change in accommodation, under normal conditions.Display systems that provide a better match between accommodation andvergence may form more realistic and comfortable simulations ofthree-dimensional imagery.

FIG. 3 illustrates aspects of an approach for simulating athree-dimensional imagery using multiple depth planes. With reference toFIG. 3 , objects at various distances from eyes 302 and 304 on thez-axis are accommodated by the eyes 302 and 304 so that those objectsare in focus. The eyes 302 and 304 assume particular accommodated statesto bring into focus objects at different distances along the z-axis.Consequently, a particular accommodated state may be said to beassociated with a particular one of depth planes 306, which has anassociated focal distance, such that objects or parts of objects in aparticular depth plane are in focus when the eye is in the accommodatedstate for that depth plane. Three-dimensional imagery can be simulatedby providing different presentations of an image for each of the eyes302 and 304, and also by providing different presentations of the imagecorresponding to each of the depth planes. While shown as being separatefor clarity of illustration, it will be appreciated that the fields ofview of the eyes 302 and 304 may overlap, for example, as distance alongthe z-axis increases. In addition, while shown as flat for the ease ofillustration, it will be appreciated that the contours of a depth planemay be curved in physical space, such that all features in a depth planeare in focus with the eye in a particular accommodated state. Withoutbeing limited by theory, it is believed that the human eye typically caninterpret a finite number of depth planes to provide depth perception.Consequently, a highly believable simulation of perceived depth may beachieved by providing, to the eye, different presentations of an imagecorresponding to each of these limited number of depth planes.

C. Waveguide Stack Assembly

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a waveguide stack for outputting imageinformation to a user. A wearable system 400 includes a stack ofwaveguides, or stacked waveguide assembly 480 that may be utilized toprovide three-dimensional perception to the eye/brain using a pluralityof waveguides 432 b, 434 b, 436 b, 438 b, 4400 b. The wearable system400 can correspond to wearable system 200 of FIG. 2 , with FIG. 4schematically showing some parts of that wearable system 200 in greaterdetail. For example, the waveguide assembly 480 can be integrated intothe display 220 of FIG. 2 .

With continued reference to FIG. 4 , the waveguide assembly 480 may alsoinclude a plurality of features 458, 456, 454, 452 between thewaveguides. The features 458, 456, 454, 452 may be lenses. The features458, 456, 454, 452 may not be lenses. Rather, they may simply be spacers(e.g., cladding layers or structures for forming air gaps).

The waveguides 432 b, 434 b, 436 b, 438 b, 440 b or the plurality oflenses 458, 456, 454, 452 may be configured to send image information tothe eye with various levels of wavefront curvature or light raydivergence. Each waveguide level may be associated with a particulardepth plane and may be configured to output image informationcorresponding to that depth plane. Image injection devices 420, 422,424, 426, 428 may be utilized to inject image information into thewaveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b, 432 b, each of which may beconfigured to distribute incoming light across each respectivewaveguide, for output toward the eye 410. Light exits an output surfaceof the image injection devices 420, 422, 424, 426, 428 and is injectedinto a corresponding input edge of the waveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b,434 b, 432 b. A single beam of light (e.g., a collimated beam) may beinjected into each waveguide to output an entire field of clonedcollimated beams that are directed toward the eye 410 at particularangles (and amounts of divergence) corresponding to the depth planeassociated with a particular waveguide.

The image injection devices 420, 422, 424, 426, 428 can be discretedisplays that each produce image information for injection into acorresponding waveguide 440 b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b, 432 b, respectively.Additionally or alternatively, the image injection devices 420, 422,424, 426, 428 can be the output ends of a single multiplexed displaywhich may, e.g., pipe image information via one or more optical conduits(such as fiber optic cables) to each of the image injection devices 420,422, 424, 426, 428.

A controller 460 controls the operation of the stacked waveguideassembly 480 and the image injection devices 420, 422, 424, 426, 428.The controller 460 can include programming (e.g., instructions in anon-transitory computer-readable medium) that regulates the timing andprovision of image information to the waveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b,434 b, 432 b. The controller 460 may be a single integral device, or adistributed system connected by wired or wireless communicationchannels. The controller 460 may be part of the processing modules 260or 270 (illustrated in FIG. 2 ) in some embodiments.

The waveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b, 432 b may be configured topropagate light within each respective waveguide by total internalreflection (TIR). The waveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b, 432 b mayeach be planar or have another shape (e.g., curved), with major top andbottom surfaces and edges extending between those major top and bottomsurfaces. In the illustrated configuration, the waveguides 440 b, 438 b,436 b, 434 b, 432 b may each include light extracting optical elements440 a, 438 a, 436 a, 434 a, 432 a that are configured to extract lightout of a waveguide by redirecting the light, propagating within eachrespective waveguide, out of the waveguide to output image informationto the eye 410. Extracted light may also be referred to as outcoupledlight, and light extracting optical elements may also be referred to asoutcoupling optical elements. An extracted beam of light can beoutputted by the waveguide at locations at which the light propagatingin the waveguide strikes a light redirecting element. The lightextracting optical elements (440 a, 438 a, 436 a, 434 a, 432 a) may, forexample, be reflective or diffractive optical features. Whileillustrated disposed at the bottom major surfaces of the waveguides 440b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b, 432 b for ease of description and drawingclarity the light extracting optical elements 440 a, 438 a, 436 a, 434a, 432 a may be disposed at the top or bottom major surfaces, or may bedisposed directly in the volume of the waveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b,434 b, 432 b. The light extracting optical elements 440 a, 438 a, 436 a,434 a, 432 a may be formed in a layer of material that is attached to atransparent substrate to form the waveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b,432 b. The waveguides 440 b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b, 432 b may be amonolithic piece of material and the light extracting optical elements440 a, 438 a, 436 a, 434 a, 432 a may be formed on a surface or in theinterior of that piece of material.

With continued reference to FIG. 4 , as discussed herein, each waveguide440 b, 438 b, 436 b, 434 b, 432 b can be configured to output light toform an image corresponding to a particular depth plane. For example,the waveguide 432 b nearest the eye may be configured to delivercollimated light, as injected into such waveguide 432 b, to the eye 410.The collimated light may be representative of the optical infinity focalplane. The next waveguide up 434 b may be configured to send outcollimated light which passes through the first lens 452 (e.g., anegative lens) before it can reach the eye 410. First lens 452 may beconfigured to create a slight convex wavefront curvature so that theeye/brain interprets light coming from that next waveguide up 434 b ascoming from a first focal plane closer inward toward the eye 410 fromoptical infinity. Similarly, the third up waveguide 436 b passes itsoutput light through both the first lens 452 and second lens 454 beforereaching the eye 410. The combined optical power of the first and secondlenses 452 and 454 may be configured to create another incrementalamount of wavefront curvature so that the eye/brain interprets lightcoming from the third waveguide 436 b as coming from a second focalplane that is even closer inward toward the person from optical infinitythan was light from the next waveguide up 434 b.

The other waveguide layers (e.g., waveguides 438 b, 440 b) and lenses(e.g., lenses 456, 458) are similarly configured, with the highestwaveguide 440 b in the stack sending its output through all of thelenses between it and the eye for an aggregate focal powerrepresentative of the closest focal plane to the person. To compensatefor the stack of lenses 458, 456, 454, 452 when viewing/interpretinglight coming from the world 470 on the other side of the stackedwaveguide assembly 480, a compensating lens layer 430 may be disposed atthe top of the stack to compensate for the aggregate power of the lensstack 458, 456, 454, 452 below. Such a configuration provides as manyperceived focal planes as there are available waveguide/lens pairings.Both the light extracting optical elements of the waveguides and thefocusing aspects of the lenses may be static (e.g., not dynamic, orelectro-active). Additionally or alternatively, either or both may bedynamic using electro-active features.

With continued reference to FIG. 4 , the light extracting opticalelements 440 a, 438 a, 436 a, 434 a, 432 a may be configured to bothredirect light out of their respective waveguides and to output thislight with the appropriate amount of divergence or collimation for aparticular depth plane associated with the waveguide. As a result,waveguides having different associated depth planes may have differentconfigurations of light extracting optical elements, which output lightwith a different amount of divergence depending on the associated depthplane. As discussed herein, the light extracting optical elements 440 a,438 a, 436 a, 434 a, 432 a may be volumetric or surface features, whichmay be configured to output light at specific angles. For example, thelight extracting optical elements 440 a, 438 a, 436 a, 434 a, 432 a maybe volume holograms, surface holograms, or diffraction gratings. Lightextracting optical elements, such as diffraction gratings, are describedin U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0178939, published Jun. 25, 2015,which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

In some embodiments, the light extracting optical elements 440 a, 438 a,436 a, 434 a, 432 a are diffractive features that form a diffractionpattern, or “diffractive optical element” (also referred to herein as a“DOE”). Preferably, the DOE has a relatively low diffraction efficiencyso that only a portion of the light of the beam is deflected away towardthe eye 410 with each intersection of the DOE, while the rest continuesto move through a waveguide via total internal reflection. The lightcarrying the image information can thus be divided into a number ofrelated exit beams that exit the waveguide at a multiplicity oflocations and the result is a fairly uniform pattern of exit emissiontoward the eye 304 for this particular collimated beam bouncing aroundwithin a waveguide.

One or more DOEs may be switchable between “on” state in which theyactively diffract, and “off” state in which they do not significantlydiffract. For instance, a switchable DOE may comprise a layer of polymerdispersed liquid crystal, in which microdroplets comprise a diffractionpattern in a host medium, and the refractive index of the microdropletscan be switched to substantially match the refractive index of the hostmaterial (in which case the pattern does not appreciably diffractincident light) or the microdroplet can be switched to an index thatdoes not match that of the host medium (in which case the patternactively diffracts incident light).

The number and distribution of depth planes or depth of field may bevaried dynamically based on the pupil sizes or orientations of the eyesof the viewer. Depth of field may change inversely with a viewer's pupilsize. As a result, as the sizes of the pupils of the viewer's eyesdecrease, the depth of field increases such that one plane that is notdiscernible because the location of that plane is beyond the depth offocus of the eye may become discernible and appear more in focus withreduction of pupil size and commensurate with the increase in depth offield. Likewise, the number of spaced apart depth planes used to presentdifferent images to the viewer may be decreased with the decreased pupilsize. For example, a viewer may not be able to clearly perceive thedetails of both a first depth plane and a second depth plane at onepupil size without adjusting the accommodation of the eye away from onedepth plane and to the other depth plane. These two depth planes may,however, be sufficiently in focus at the same time to the user atanother pupil size without changing accommodation.

The display system may vary the number of waveguides receiving imageinformation based upon determinations of pupil size or orientation, orupon receiving electrical signals indicative of particular pupil size ororientation. For example, if the user's eyes are unable to distinguishbetween two depth planes associated with two waveguides, then thecontroller 460 (which may be an embodiment of the local processing anddata module 260) can be configured or programmed to cease providingimage information to one of these waveguides. Advantageously, this mayreduce the processing burden on the system, thereby increasing theresponsiveness of the system. In embodiments in which the DOEs for awaveguide are switchable between the on and off states, the DOEs may beswitched to the off state when the waveguide does receive imageinformation.

It may be desirable to have an exit beam meet the condition of having adiameter that is less than the diameter of the eye of a viewer. However,meeting this condition may be challenging in view of the variability insize of the viewer's pupils. This condition may be met over a wide rangeof pupil sizes by varying the size of the exit beam in response todeterminations of the size of the viewer's pupil. For example, as thepupil size decreases, the size of the exit beam may also decrease. Theexit beam size may be varied using a variable aperture.

The wearable system 400 can include an outward-facing imaging system 464(e.g., a digital camera) that images a portion of the world 470. Thisportion of the world 470 may be referred to as the field of view (FOV)of a world camera and the imaging system 464 is sometimes referred to asan FOV camera. The FOV of the world camera may or may not be the same asthe FOV of a viewer 210 which encompasses a portion of the world 470 theviewer 210 perceives at a given time. For example, in some situations,the FOV of the world camera may be larger than the viewer 210 of theviewer 210 of the wearable system 400. The entire region available forviewing or imaging by a viewer may be referred to as the field of regard(FOR). The FOR may include 4π steradians of solid angle surrounding thewearable system 400 because the wearer can move his body, head, or eyesto perceive substantially any direction in space. In other contexts, thewearer's movements may be more constricted, and accordingly the wearer'sFOR may subtend a smaller solid angle. Images obtained from theoutward-facing imaging system 464 can be used to track gestures made bythe user (e.g., hand or finger gestures), detect objects in the world470 in front of the user, and so forth.

The wearable system 400 can include an audio sensor 232, e.g., amicrophone, to capture ambient sound. As described above, one or moreother audio sensors can be positioned to provide stereo sound receptionuseful to the determination of location of a speech source. The audiosensor 232 can comprise a directional microphone, as another example,which can also provide such useful directional information as to wherethe audio source is located. The wearable system 400 can use informationfrom both the outward-facing imaging system 464 and the audio sensor 230in locating a source of speech, or to determine an active speaker at aparticular moment in time, etc. For example, the wearable system 400 canuse the voice recognition alone or in combination with a reflected imageof the speaker (e.g., as seen in a mirror) to determine the identity ofthe speaker. As another example, the wearable system 400 can determine aposition of the speaker in an environment based on sound acquired fromdirectional microphones. The wearable system 400 can parse the soundcoming from the speaker's position with speech recognition algorithms todetermine the content of the speech and use voice recognition techniquesto determine the identity (e.g., name or other demographic information)of the speaker.

The wearable system 400 can also include an inward-facing imaging system466 (e.g., a digital camera), which observes the movements of the user,such as the eye movements and the facial movements. The inward-facingimaging system 466 may be used to capture images of the eye 410 todetermine the size or orientation of the pupil of the eye 304. Theinward-facing imaging system 466 can be used to obtain images for use indetermining the direction the user is looking (e.g., eye pose) or forbiometric identification of the user (e.g., via iris identification). Atleast one camera may be utilized for each eye, to separately determinethe pupil size or eye pose of each eye independently, thereby allowingthe presentation of image information to each eye to be dynamicallytailored to that eye. The pupil diameter or orientation of only a singleeye 410 (e.g., using only a single camera per pair of eyes) can bedetermined and assumed to be similar for both eyes of the user. Theimages obtained by the inward-facing imaging system 466 may be analyzedto determine the user's eye pose or mood, which can be used by thewearable system 400 to decide which audio or visual content should bepresented to the user. Additionally or alternatively, the wearablesystem 400 may determine head pose (e.g., head position or headorientation) using sensors such as IMUs, accelerometers, gyroscopes,etc.

The wearable system 400 can include a user input device 466 by which theuser can input commands to the controller 460 to interact with thewearable system 400. For example, the user input device 466 can includea trackpad, a touchscreen, a joystick, a multiple degree-of-freedom(DOF) controller, a capacitive sensing device, a game controller, akeyboard, a mouse, a directional pad (D-pad), a wand, a haptic device, atotem (e.g., functioning as a virtual user input device), and so forth.A multi-DOF controller can sense user input in some or all possibletranslations (e.g., left/right, forward/backward, or up/down) orrotations (e.g., yaw, pitch, or roll) of the controller. A multi-DOFcontroller which supports the translation movements may be referred toas a 3DOF while a multi-DOF controller which supports the translationsand rotations may be referred to as 6DOF. The user may use a finger(e.g., a thumb) to press or swipe on a touch-sensitive input device toprovide input to the wearable system 400 (e.g., to provide user input toa user interface provided by the wearable system 400). The user inputdevice 466 may be held by the user's hand during the use of the wearablesystem 400. The user input device 466 can be in wired or wirelesscommunication with the wearable system 400.

FIG. 5 shows an example of exit beams outputted by a waveguide. Onewaveguide is illustrated, but it will be appreciated that otherwaveguides in the waveguide assembly 480 may function similarly, wherethe waveguide assembly 480 includes multiple waveguides. Light 520 canbe injected into the waveguide 432 b at the input edge 432 c of thewaveguide 432 b and propagates within the waveguide 432 b by TIR. Atpoints where the light 520 impinges on the DOE 432 a, a portion of thelight exits the waveguide as exit beams 510. The exit beams 510 areillustrated as substantially parallel but they may also be redirected topropagate to the eye 410 at an angle (e.g., forming divergent exitbeams), depending on the depth plane associated with the waveguide 432b. It will be appreciated that substantially parallel exit beams may beindicative of a waveguide with light extracting optical elements thatoutcouple light to form images that appear to be set on a depth plane ata large distance (e.g., optical infinity) from the eye 410. Otherwaveguides or other sets of light extracting optical elements may outputan exit beam pattern that is more divergent, which would require the eye410 to accommodate to a closer distance to bring it into focus on theretina and would be interpreted by the brain as light from a distancecloser to the eye 410 than optical infinity.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an optical system including awaveguide apparatus, an optical coupler subsystem to optically couplelight to or from the waveguide apparatus, and a control subsystem, usedin the generation of a multi-focal volumetric display, image, or lightfield. The optical system can include a waveguide apparatus, an opticalcoupler subsystem to optically couple light to or from the waveguideapparatus, and a control subsystem. The optical system can be used togenerate a multi-focal volumetric, image, or light field. The opticalsystem can include one or more primary planar waveguides 632 a (only oneis shown in FIG. 6 ) and one or more DOEs 632 b associated with each ofat least some of the primary waveguides 632 a. The planar waveguides 632b can be similar to the waveguides 432 b, 434 b, 436 b, 438 b, 440 bdiscussed with reference to FIG. 4 . The optical system may employ adistribution waveguide apparatus to relay light along a first axis(vertical or Y-axis in view of FIG. 6 ) and expand the light's effectiveexit pupil along the first axis (e.g., Y-axis). The distributionwaveguide apparatus may, for example, include a distribution planarwaveguide 622 b and at least one DOE 622 a (illustrated by doubledash-dot line) associated with the distribution planar waveguide 622 b.The distribution planar waveguide 622 b may be similar or identical inat least some respects to the primary planar waveguide 632 b, having adifferent orientation therefrom. Likewise, at least one DOE 622 a may besimilar to or identical in at least some respects to the DOE 632 a. Forexample, the distribution planar waveguide 622 b or DOE 622 a may becomprised of the same materials as the primary planar waveguide 632 b orDOE 632 a, respectively. Embodiments of the optical display system 600shown in FIG. 6 can be integrated into the wearable system 200 shown inFIG. 2 .

The relayed and exit-pupil expanded light may be optically coupled fromthe distribution waveguide apparatus into the one or more primary planarwaveguides 632 b. The primary planar waveguide 632 b can relay lightalong a second axis, preferably orthogonal to first axis (e.g.,horizontal or X-axis in view of FIG. 6 ). Notably, the second axis canbe a non-orthogonal axis to the first axis. The primary planar waveguide632 b expands the light's effective exit pupil along that second axis(e.g., X-axis). For example, the distribution planar waveguide 622 b canrelay and expand light along the vertical or Y-axis and pass that lightto the primary planar waveguide 632 b which can relay and expand lightalong the horizontal or X-axis.

The optical system may include one or more sources of colored light(e.g., red, green, and blue laser light) 610 which may be opticallycoupled into a proximal end of a single mode optical fiber 640. A distalend of the optical fiber 640 may be threaded or received through ahollow tube 642 of piezoelectric material. The distal end protrudes fromthe tube 642 as fixed-free flexible cantilever 644. The piezoelectrictube 642 can be associated with four quadrant electrodes (notillustrated). The electrodes may, for example, be plated on the outside,outer surface or outer periphery or diameter of the tube 642. A coreelectrode (not illustrated) may also be located in a core, center, innerperiphery, or inner diameter of the tube 642.

Drive electronics 650, for example electrically coupled via wires 660,drive opposing pairs of electrodes to bend the piezoelectric tube 642 intwo axes independently. The protruding distal tip of the optical fiber644 has mechanical modes of resonance. The frequencies of resonance candepend upon a diameter, length, and material properties of the opticalfiber 644. By vibrating the piezoelectric tube 642 near a first mode ofmechanical resonance of the fiber cantilever 644, the fiber cantilever644 can be caused to vibrate, and can sweep through large deflections.

By stimulating resonant vibration in two axes, the tip of the fibercantilever 644 is scanned biaxially in an area filling two-dimensional(2D) scan. By modulating an intensity of light source(s) 610 insynchrony with the scan of the fiber cantilever 644, light emerging fromthe fiber cantilever 644 can form an image. Descriptions of such a setup are provided in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0003762, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

A component of an optical coupler subsystem can collimate the lightemerging from the scanning fiber cantilever 644. The collimated lightcan be reflected by mirrored surface 648 into the narrow distributionplanar waveguide 622 b which contains the at least one diffractiveoptical element (DOE) 622 a. The collimated light can propagatevertically (relative to the view of FIG. 6 ) along the distributionplanar waveguide 622 b by TIR, and in doing so repeatedly intersectswith the DOE 622 a. The DOE 622 a preferably has a low diffractionefficiency. This can cause a fraction (e.g., 10%) of the light to bediffracted toward an edge of the larger primary planar waveguide 632 bat each point of intersection with the DOE 622 a, and a fraction of thelight to continue on its original trajectory down the length of thedistribution planar waveguide 622 b via TIR.

At each point of intersection with the DOE 622 a, additional light canbe diffracted toward the entrance of the primary waveguide 632 b. Bydividing the incoming light into multiple outcoupled sets, the exitpupil of the light can be expanded vertically by the DOE 622 a in thedistribution planar waveguide 622 b. This vertically expanded lightcoupled out of distribution planar waveguide 622 b can enter the edge ofthe primary planar waveguide 632 b.

Light entering primary waveguide 632 b can propagate horizontally(relative to the view of FIG. 6 ) along the primary waveguide 632 b viaTIR. As the light intersects with DOE 632 a at multiple points as itpropagates horizontally along at least a portion of the length of theprimary waveguide 632 b via TIR. The DOE 632 a may advantageously bedesigned or configured to have a phase profile that is a summation of alinear diffraction pattern and a radially symmetric diffractive pattern,to produce both deflection and focusing of the light. The DOE 632 a mayadvantageously have a low diffraction efficiency (e.g., 10%), so thatonly a portion of the light of the beam is deflected toward the eye ofthe view with each intersection of the DOE 632 a while the rest of thelight continues to propagate through the primary waveguide 632 b viaTIR.

At each point of intersection between the propagating light and the DOE632 a, a fraction of the light is diffracted toward the adjacent face ofthe primary waveguide 632 b allowing the light to escape the TIR andemerge from the face of the primary waveguide 632 b. The radiallysymmetric diffraction pattern of the DOE 632 a additionally can impart afocus level to the diffracted light, both shaping the light wavefront(e.g., imparting a curvature) of the individual beam as well as steeringthe beam at an angle that matches the designed focus level.

Accordingly, these different pathways can cause the light to be coupledout of the primary planar waveguide 632 b by a multiplicity of DOEs 632a at different angles, focus levels, or yielding different fill patternsat the exit pupil. Different fill patterns at the exit pupil can bebeneficially used to create a light field display with multiple depthplanes. Each layer in the waveguide assembly or a set of layers (e.g., 3layers) in the stack may be employed to generate a respective color(e.g., red, blue, green). Thus, for example, a first set of threeadjacent layers may be employed to respectively produce red, blue, andgreen light at a first focal depth. A second set of three adjacentlayers may be employed to respectively produce red, blue, and greenlight at a second focal depth. Multiple sets may be employed to generatea full 3D or 4D color image light field with various focal depths.

D. Other Components of the Wearable System

In many implementations, the wearable system may include othercomponents in addition or in alternative to the components of thewearable system described above. The wearable system may, for example,include one or more haptic devices or components. The haptic devices orcomponents may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. Forexample, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactilesensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g.,virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs). The tactilesensation may replicate a feel of a physical object which a virtualobject represents or may replicate a feel of an imagined object orcharacter (e.g., a dragon) which the virtual content represents. In someimplementations, haptic devices or components may be worn by the user(e.g., a user wearable glove). In some implementations, haptic devicesor components may be held by the user.

The wearable system may, for example, include one or more physicalobjects which are manipulable by the user to allow input or interactionwith the wearable system. These physical objects may be referred toherein as totems. Some totems may take the form of inanimate objects,such as for example, a piece of metal or plastic, a wall, a surface oftable. In certain implementations, the totems may not actually have anyphysical input structures (e.g., keys, triggers, joystick, trackball,rocker switch). Instead, the totem may simply provide a physicalsurface, and the wearable system may render a user interface so as toappear to a user to be on one or more surfaces of the totem. Forexample, the wearable system may render an image of a computer keyboardand trackpad to appear to reside on one or more surfaces of a totem. Forexample, the wearable system may render a virtual computer keyboard andvirtual trackpad to appear on a surface of a thin rectangular plate ofaluminum which serves as a totem. The rectangular plate does not itselfhave any physical keys or trackpad or sensors. However, the wearablesystem may detect user manipulation or interaction or touches with therectangular plate as selections or inputs made via the virtual keyboardor virtual trackpad. The user input device 466 (shown in FIG. 4 ) may bean embodiment of a totem, which may include a trackpad, a touchpad, atrigger, a joystick, a trackball, a rocker or virtual switch, a mouse, akeyboard, a multi-degree-of-freedom controller, or another physicalinput device. A user may use the totem, alone or in combination withposes, to interact with the wearable system or other users.

Examples of haptic devices and totems usable with the wearable devices,HMD, and display systems of the present disclosure are described in U.S.Patent Publication No. 2015/0016777, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

E. Example Wearable Systems, Environments, and Interfaces

A wearable system may employ various mapping related techniques in orderto achieve high depth of field in the rendered light fields. In mappingout the virtual world, it is advantageous to know all the features andpoints in the real world to accurately portray virtual objects inrelation to the real world. To this end, FOV images captured from usersof the wearable system can be added to a world model by including newpictures that convey information about various points and features ofthe real world. For example, the wearable system can collect a set ofmap points (such as 2D points or 3D points) and find new map points torender a more accurate version of the world model. The world model of afirst user can be communicated (e.g., over a network such as a cloudnetwork) to a second user so that the second user can experience theworld surrounding the first user.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example of an MR environment 700. The MRenvironment 700 may be configured to receive input (e.g., visual input702 from the user's wearable system, stationary input 704 such as roomcameras, sensory input 706 from various sensors, gestures, totems, eyetracking, user input from the user input device 466 etc.) from one ormore user wearable systems (e.g., wearable system 200 or display system220) or stationary room systems (e.g., room cameras, etc.). The wearablesystems can use various sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes,temperature sensors, movement sensors, depth sensors, GPS sensors,inward-facing imaging system, outward-facing imaging system, etc.) todetermine the location and various other attributes of the environmentof the user. This information may further be supplemented withinformation from stationary cameras in the room that may provide imagesor various cues from a different point of view. The image data acquiredby the cameras (such as the room cameras or the cameras of theoutward-facing imaging system) may be reduced to a set of mappingpoints.

One or more object recognizers 708 can crawl through the received data(e.g., the collection of points) and recognize or map points, tagimages, attach semantic information to objects with the help of a mapdatabase 710. The map database 710 may comprise various points collectedover time and their corresponding objects. The various devices and themap database can be connected to each other through a network (e.g.,LAN, WAN, etc.) to access the cloud.

Based on this information and collection of points in the map database,the object recognizers 708 a to 708 n may recognize objects in anenvironment. For example, the object recognizers can recognize faces,persons, windows, walls, user input devices, televisions, documents(e.g., travel tickets, driver's license, passport as described in thesecurity examples herein), other objects in the user's environment, etc.One or more object recognizers may be specialized for object withcertain characteristics. For example, the object recognizer 708 a may beused to recognizer faces, while another object recognizer may be usedrecognize documents.

The object recognitions may be performed using a variety of computervision techniques. For example, the wearable system can analyze theimages acquired by the outward-facing imaging system 464 (shown in FIG.4 ) to perform scene reconstruction, event detection, video tracking,object recognition (e.g., persons or documents), object pose estimation,facial recognition (e.g., from a person in the environment or an imageon a document), learning, indexing, motion estimation, or image analysis(e.g., identifying indicia within documents such as photos, signatures,identification information, travel information, etc.), and so forth. Oneor more computer vision algorithms may be used to perform these tasks.Non-limiting examples of computer vision algorithms include:Scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT), speeded up robust features(SURF), oriented FAST and rotated BRIEF (ORB), binary robust invariantscalable keypoints (BRISK), fast retina keypoint (FREAK), Viola-Jonesalgorithm, Eigenfaces approach, Lucas-Kanade algorithm, Horn-Schunkalgorithm, Mean-shift algorithm, visual simultaneous location andmapping (vSLAM) techniques, a sequential Bayesian estimator (e.g.,Kalman filter, extended Kalman filter, etc.), bundle adjustment,Adaptive thresholding (and other thresholding techniques), IterativeClosest Point (ICP), Semi Global Matching (SGM), Semi Global BlockMatching (SGBM), Feature Point Histograms, various machine learningalgorithms (such as e.g., support vector machine, k-nearest neighborsalgorithm, Naive Bayes, neural network (including convolutional or deepneural networks), or other supervised/unsupervised models, etc.), and soforth.

The object recognitions can additionally or alternatively be performedby a variety of machine learning algorithms. Once trained, the machinelearning algorithm can be stored by the HMD. Some examples of machinelearning algorithms can include supervised or non-supervised machinelearning algorithms, including regression algorithms (such as, forexample, Ordinary Least Squares Regression), instance-based algorithms(such as, for example, Learning Vector Quantization), decision treealgorithms (such as, for example, classification and regression trees),Bayesian algorithms (such as, for example, Naive Bayes), clusteringalgorithms (such as, for example, k-means clustering), association rulelearning algorithms (such as, for example, a-priori algorithms),artificial neural network algorithms (such as, for example, Perceptron),deep learning algorithms (such as, for example, Deep Boltzmann Machine,or deep neural network), dimensionality reduction algorithms (such as,for example, Principal Component Analysis), ensemble algorithms (suchas, for example, Stacked Generalization), or other machine learningalgorithms. Individual models can be customized for individual datasets. For example, the wearable device can generate or store a basemodel. The base model may be used as a starting point to generateadditional models specific to a data type (e.g., a particular user inthe telepresence session), a data set (e.g., a set of additional imagesobtained of the user in the telepresence session), conditionalsituations, or other variations. The wearable HMD can be configured toutilize a plurality of techniques to generate models for analysis of theaggregated data. Other techniques may include using pre-definedthresholds or data values.

Based on this information and collection of points in the map database,the object recognizers 708 a to 708 n may recognize objects andsupplement objects with semantic information to give life to theobjects. For example, if the object recognizer recognizes a set ofpoints to be a door, the system may attach some semantic information(e.g., the door has a hinge and has a 90 degree movement about thehinge). If the object recognizer recognizes a set of points to be amirror, the system may attach semantic information that the mirror has areflective surface that can reflect images of objects in the room. Thesemantic information can include affordances of the objects as describedherein. For example, the semantic information may include a normal ofthe object. The system can assign a vector whose direction indicates thenormal of the object. Over time the map database grows as the system(which may reside locally or may be accessible through a wirelessnetwork) accumulates more data from the world. Once the objects arerecognized, the information may be transmitted to one or more wearablesystems. For example, the MR environment 700 may include informationabout a scene happening in California. The environment 700 may betransmitted to one or more users in New York. Based on data receivedfrom an FOV camera and other inputs, the object recognizers and othersoftware components can map the points collected from the variousimages, recognize objects etc., such that the scene may be accurately“passed over” to a second user, who may be in a different part of theworld. The environment 700 may also use a topological map forlocalization purposes.

FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method 800 ofrendering virtual content in relation to recognized objects. The method800 describes how a virtual scene may be presented to a user of thewearable system. The user may be geographically remote from the scene.For example, the user may be in New York, but may want to view a scenethat is presently going on in California or may want to go on a walkwith a friend who resides in California.

At block 810, the wearable system may receive input from the user andother users regarding the environment of the user. This may be achievedthrough various input devices, and knowledge already possessed in themap database. The user's FOV camera, sensors, GPS, eye tracking, etc.,convey information to the system at block 810. The system may determinesparse points based on this information at block 820. The sparse pointsmay be used in determining pose data (e.g., head pose, eye pose, bodypose, or hand gestures) that can be used in displaying and understandingthe orientation and position of various objects in the user'ssurroundings. The object recognizers 708 a-708 n may crawl through thesecollected points and recognize one or more objects using a map databaseat block 830. This information may then be conveyed to the user'sindividual wearable system at block 840, and the desired virtual scenemay be accordingly displayed to the user at block 850. For example, thedesired virtual scene (e.g., user in CA) may be displayed at theappropriate orientation, position, etc., in relation to the variousobjects and other surroundings of the user in New York.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of another example of a wearable system. Inthis example, the wearable system 900 comprises a map 920, which mayinclude the map database 710 containing map data for the world. The mapmay partly reside locally on the wearable system and may partly resideat networked storage locations accessible by wired or wireless network(e.g., in a cloud system). A pose process 910 may be executed on thewearable computing architecture (e.g., processing module 260 orcontroller 460) and utilize data from the map 920 to determine positionand orientation of the wearable computing hardware or user. Pose datamay be computed from data collected on the fly as the user isexperiencing the system and operating in the world. The data maycomprise images, data from sensors (such as inertial measurement units,which generally comprise accelerometer and gyroscope components) andsurface information pertinent to objects in the real or virtualenvironment.

A sparse point representation may be the output of a simultaneouslocalization and mapping (e.g., SLAM or vSLAM, referring to aconfiguration wherein the input is images/visual only) process. Thesystem can be configured to not only find out where in the world thevarious components are, but what the world is made of. Pose may be abuilding block that achieves many goals, including populating the mapand using the data from the map.

In one embodiment, a sparse point position may not be completelyadequate on its own, and further information may be needed to produce amultifocal AR, VR, or MR experience. Dense representations, generallyreferring to depth map information, may be utilized to fill this gap atleast in part. Such information may be computed from a process referredto as Stereo 940, wherein depth information is determined using atechnique such as triangulation or time-of-flight sensing. Imageinformation and active patterns (such as infrared patterns created usingactive projectors), images acquired from image cameras, or handgestures/totem 950 may serve as input to the Stereo process 940. Asignificant amount of depth map information may be fused together, andsome of this may be summarized with a surface representation. Forexample, mathematically definable surfaces may be efficient (e.g.,relative to a large point cloud) and digestible inputs to otherprocessing devices like game engines. Thus, the output of the stereoprocess (e.g., a depth map) 940 may be combined in the fusion process930. Pose 910 may be an input to this fusion process 930 as well, andthe output of fusion 930 becomes an input to populating the map process920. Sub-surfaces may connect with each other, such as in topographicalmapping, to form larger surfaces, and the map becomes a large hybrid ofpoints and surfaces.

To resolve various aspects in a mixed reality process 960, variousinputs may be utilized. For example, in the embodiment depicted in FIG.9 , Game parameters may be inputs to determine that the user of thesystem is playing a monster battling game with one or more monsters atvarious locations, monsters dying or running away under variousconditions (such as if the user shoots the monster), walls or otherobjects at various locations, and the like. The world map may includeinformation regarding the location of the objects or semanticinformation of the objects and the world map can be another valuableinput to mixed reality. Pose relative to the world becomes an input aswell and plays a key role to almost any interactive system.

Controls or inputs from the user are another input to the wearablesystem 900. As described herein, user inputs can include visual input,gestures, totems, audio input, sensory input, etc. In order to movearound or play a game, for example, the user may need to instruct thewearable system 900 regarding what he or she wants to do. Beyond justmoving oneself in space, there are various forms of user controls thatmay be utilized. A totem (e.g. a user input device), or an object suchas a toy gun may be held by the user and tracked by the system. Thesystem preferably will be configured to know that the user is holdingthe item and understand what kind of interaction the user is having withthe item (e.g., if the totem or object is a gun, the system may beconfigured to understand location and orientation, as well as whetherthe user is clicking a trigger or other sensed button or element whichmay be equipped with a sensor, such as an IMU, which may assist indetermining what is going on, even when such activity is not within thefield of view of any of the cameras.)

Hand gesture tracking or recognition may also provide input information.The wearable system 900 may be configured to track and interpret handgestures for button presses, for gesturing left or right, stop, grab,hold, etc. For example, in one configuration, the user may want to flipthrough emails or a calendar in a non-gaming environment or do a “fistbump” with another person or player. The wearable system 900 may beconfigured to leverage a minimum amount of hand gesture, which may ormay not be dynamic. For example, the gestures may be simple staticgestures like open hand for stop, thumbs up for ok, thumbs down for notok; or a hand flip right, or left, or up/down for directional commands.

Eye tracking is another input (e.g., tracking where the user is lookingto control the display technology to render at a specific depth orrange). Vergence of the eyes may be determined using triangulation, andthen using a vergence/accommodation model developed for that particularperson, accommodation may be determined. The eye camera(s) can performeye tracking to determine eye gaze (e.g., direction or orientation ofone or both eyes). Other techniques can be used for eye tracking suchas, e.g., measurement of electrical potentials by electrodes placed nearthe eye(s) (e.g., electrooculography).

Speech tracking can be another input can be used alone or in combinationwith other inputs (e.g., totem tracking, eye tracking, gesture tracking,etc.). Speech tracking may include speech recognition, voicerecognition, alone or in combination. The system 900 can include anaudio sensor (e.g., a microphone) that receives an audio stream from theenvironment. The system 900 can incorporate voice recognition technologyto determine who is speaking (e.g., whether the speech is from thewearer of the ARD or another person or voice (e.g., a recorded voicetransmitted by a loudspeaker in the environment)) as well as speechrecognition technology to determine what is being said. The local data &processing module 260 or the remote processing module 270 can processthe audio data from the microphone (or audio data in another stream suchas, e.g., a video stream being watched by the user) to identify contentof the speech by applying various speech recognition algorithms, suchas, e.g., hidden Markov models, dynamic time warping (DTW)-based speechrecognitions, neural networks, deep learning algorithms such as deepfeedforward and recurrent neural networks, end-to-end automatic speechrecognitions, machine learning algorithms (described with reference toFIG. 7 ), or other algorithms that uses acoustic modeling or languagemodeling, etc. In some cases, the speech will come from multiplesources, for example, from another person in the vicinity of the user,from an announcer on a television playing in the vicinity of the person,and from speech content that is being played to the user of the ARD viathe speaker 240. As further described below, these different speechsources (e.g., a person, a television announcer, and an audio stream inthis example) may be content analyzed and different topics may bepresented differently to the user by a user interface of the ARD (e.g.,different topics organized into different threads, speech by differentspeakers organized into different threads, or a combination of these).

The local data & processing module 260 or the remote processing module270 can also apply voice recognition algorithms which can identify theidentity of the speaker, such as whether the speaker is the user 210 ofthe wearable system 900 or another person with whom the user isconversing. Some example voice recognition algorithms can includefrequency estimation, hidden Markov models, Gaussian mixture models,pattern matching algorithms, neural networks, matrix representation,Vector Quantization, speaker diarisation, decision trees, and dynamictime warping (DTW) technique. Voice recognition techniques can alsoinclude anti-speaker techniques, such as cohort models, and worldmodels. Spectral features may be used in representing speakercharacteristics. The local data & processing module or the remote dataprocessing module 270 can use various machine learning algorithmsdescribed with reference to FIG. 7 to perform the voice recognition.

An implementation of a waypoint mapping system 970 can use these usercontrols or inputs via a user interface (UI). UI elements (e.g.,controls, popup windows, bubbles, data entry fields, etc.) can be used,for example, to dismiss a display of auxiliary information, or to add aword to a common word dictionary. Examples of such implementations ofthe waypoint mapping system 970 and these uses are described withreference to FIGS. 13-24 .

With regard to the camera systems, the example wearable system 900 shownin FIG. 9 can include three pairs of cameras: a relative wide FOV orpassive SLAM pair of cameras arranged to the sides of the user's face, adifferent pair of cameras oriented in front of the user to handle thestereo imaging process 940 and also to capture hand gestures andtotem/object tracking in front of the user's face. The FOV cameras andthe pair of cameras for the stereo process 940 may be a part of theoutward-facing imaging system 464 (shown in FIG. 4 ). The wearablesystem 900 can include eye tracking cameras (which may be a part of aninward-facing imaging system 462 shown in FIG. 4 ) oriented toward theeyes of the user in order to triangulate eye vectors and otherinformation. The wearable system 900 may also comprise one or moretextured light projectors (such as infrared (IR) projectors) to injecttexture into a scene.

FIG. 10 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method 1000 fordetermining user input to a wearable system. In this example, the usermay interact with a totem. The user may have multiple totems. Forexample, the user may have designated one totem for a social mediaapplication, another totem for playing games, etc. At block 1010, thewearable system may detect a motion of a totem. The movement of thetotem may be recognized through the outward-facing imaging system or maybe detected through sensors (e.g., haptic glove, image sensors, handtracking devices, eye-tracking cameras, head pose sensors, etc.).

Based at least partly on the detected gesture, eye pose, head pose, orinput through the totem, the wearable system detects a position,orientation, or movement of the totem (or the user's eyes or head orgestures) with respect to a reference frame, at block 1020. Thereference frame may be a set of map points based on which the wearablesystem translates the movement of the totem (or the user) to an actionor command. At block 1030, the user's interaction with the totem ismapped. Based on the mapping of the user interaction with respect to thereference frame 1020, the system determines the user input at block1040.

For example, the user may move a totem or physical object back and forthto signify turning a virtual page and moving on to a next page or movingfrom one user interface (UI) display screen to another UI screen. Asanother example, the user may move their head or eyes to look atdifferent real or virtual objects in the user's FOR. If the user's gazeat a particular real or virtual object is longer than a threshold time,the real or virtual object may be selected as the user input. Thevergence of the user's eyes can be tracked and an accommodation/vergencemodel can be used to determine the accommodation state of the user'seyes, which provides information on a depth plane on which the user isfocusing. The wearable system can use ray casting techniques todetermine which real or virtual objects are along the direction of theuser's head pose or eye pose. The ray casting techniques can includecasting thin, pencil rays with substantially little transverse width orcasting rays with substantial transverse width (e.g., cones orfrustums).

The user interface may be projected by the display system as describedherein (such as the display 220 in FIG. 2 ). It may also be displayedusing a variety of other techniques such as one or more projectors. Theprojectors may project images onto a physical object such as a canvas ora globe. Interactions with user interface may be tracked using one ormore cameras external to the system or part of the system (such as,e.g., using the inward-facing imaging system 462 or the outward-facingimaging system 464).

FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method 1100 forinteracting with a virtual user interface. The method 1100 may beperformed by the wearable system described herein. Embodiments of themethod 1100 can be used by the wearable system to detect persons ordocuments in the FOV of the wearable system.

At block 1110, the wearable system may identify a particular UI. Thetype of UI may be determined by the user. The wearable system mayidentify that a particular UI needs to be populated based on a userinput (e.g., gesture, visual data, audio data, sensory data, directcommand, etc.). The UI can be specific to a security scenario where thewearer of the system is observing users who present documents to thewearer (e.g., at a travel checkpoint). At block 1120, the wearablesystem may generate data for the virtual UI. For example, dataassociated with the confines, general structure, shape of the UI etc.,may be generated. In addition, the wearable system may determine mapcoordinates of the user's physical location so that the wearable systemcan display the UI in relation to the user's physical location. Forexample, if the UI is body centric, the wearable system may determinethe coordinates of the user's physical stance, head pose, or eye posesuch that a ring UI can be displayed around the user or a planar UI canbe displayed on a wall or in front of the user. In the security contextdescribed herein, the UI may be displayed as if the UI were surroundingthe traveler who is presenting documents to the wearer of the system, sothat the wearer can readily view the UI while looking at the travelerand the traveler's documents. If the UI is hand centric, the mapcoordinates of the user's hands may be determined. These map points maybe derived through data received through the FOV cameras, sensory input,or any other type of collected data.

At block 1130, the wearable system may send the data to the display fromthe cloud or the data may be sent from a local database to the displaycomponents. At block 1140, the UI is displayed to the user based on thesent data. For example, a light field display can project the virtual UIinto one or both of the user's eyes. Once the virtual UI has beencreated, the wearable system may simply wait for a command from the userto generate more virtual content on the virtual UI at block 1150. Forexample, the UI may be a body centric ring around the user's body or thebody of a person in the user's environment (e.g., a traveler). Thewearable system may then wait for the command (a gesture, a head or eyemovement, voice command, input from a user input device, etc.), and ifit is recognized (block 1160), virtual content associated with thecommand may be displayed to the user (block 1170).

Additional examples of wearable systems, UIs, and user experiences (UX)are described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0016777, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

F. Example Communications Among Wearable Systems

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates an overall system view depictingmultiple user devices interacting with each other. The computingenvironment 1200 includes user devices 1230 a, 1230 b, 1230 c. The userdevices 1230 a, 1230 b, and 1230 c can communicate with each otherthrough a network 1290. The user devices 1230 a-1230 c can each includea network interface to communicate via the network 1290 with a remotecomputing system 1220 (which may also include a network interface 1271).The network 1290 may be a LAN, WAN, peer-to-peer network, radio,Bluetooth, or any other network. The computing environment 1200 can alsoinclude one or more remote computing systems 1220. The remote computingsystem 1220 may include server computer systems that are clustered andlocated at different geographic locations. The user devices 1230 a, 1230b, and 1230 c may communicate with the remote computing system 1220 viathe network 1290.

The remote computing system 1220 may include a remote data repository1280 which can maintain information about a specific user's physical orvirtual worlds. The remote data repository may be an embodiment of theremote data repository 280 shown in FIG. 2 . The remote computing system1220 may also include a remote processing module 1270. The remoteprocessing module 1270 may be an embodiment of the remote processingmodule 270 shown in FIG. 2 . The remote processing module 1270 mayinclude one or more processors which can communicate with the userdevices (1230 a, 1230 b, 1230 c) and the remote data repository 1280.The processors can process information obtained from user devices andother sources. At least a portion of the processing or storage can beprovided by the local processing and data module 260 (as shown in FIG. 2). The remote computing system 1220 may enable a given user to shareinformation about the specific user's own physical or virtual worldswith another user.

The user device may be a wearable device (such as an HMD or an ARD), acomputer, a mobile device, or any other devices alone or in combination.For example, the user devices 1230 b and 1230 c may be an embodiment ofthe wearable system 200 shown in FIG. 2 (or the wearable system 400shown in FIG. 4 ) which can be configured to present AR/VR/MR content.

One or more of the user devices can be used with the user input device466 shown in FIG. 4 . A user device can obtain information about theuser and the user's environment (e.g., using the outward-facing imagingsystem 464 shown in FIG. 4 ). The user device or remote computing system1220 can construct, update, and build a collection of images, points andother information using the information obtained from the user devices.For example, the user device may process raw information acquired andsend the processed information to the remote computing system 1220 forfurther processing. The user device may also send the raw information tothe remote computing system 1220 for processing. The user device mayreceive the processed information from the remote computing system 1220and provide final processing before projecting to the user. The userdevice may also process the information obtained and pass the processedinformation to other user devices. The user device may communicate withthe remote data repository 1280 while processing acquired information.Multiple user devices or multiple server computer systems mayparticipate in the construction or processing of acquired images.

The information on the physical worlds may be developed over time andmay be based on the information collected by different user devices.Models of virtual worlds may also be developed over time and be based onthe inputs of different users. Such information and models can sometimesbe referred to herein as a world map or a world model. As described withreference to FIGS. 7 and 9 , information acquired by the user devicesmay be used to construct a world map 1210. The world map 1210 mayinclude at least a portion of the map 920 described in FIG. 9 . Variousobject recognizers (e.g. 708 a, 708 b, 708 c . . . 708 n) may be used torecognize objects and tag images, as well as to attach semanticinformation to the objects. These object recognizers are also describedin FIG. 7 .

The remote data repository 1280 can be used to store data and tofacilitate the construction of the world map 1210. The user device canconstantly update information about the user's environment and receiveinformation about the world map 1210. The world map 1210 may be createdby the user or by someone else. As discussed herein, user devices (e.g.1230 a, 1230 b, 1230 c) and remote computing system 1220, alone or incombination, may construct or update the world map 1210. For example, auser device may be in communication with the remote processing module1270 and the remote data repository 1280. The user device may acquire orprocess information about the user and the user's environment. Theremote processing module 1270 may be in communication with the remotedata repository 1280 and user devices (e.g. 1230 a, 1230 b, 1230 c) toprocess information about the user and the user's environment. Theremote computing system 1220 can modify the information acquired by theuser devices (e.g. 1230 a, 1230 b, 1230 c), such as, e.g. selectivelycropping a user's image, modifying the user's background, adding virtualobjects to the user's environment, annotating a user's speech withauxiliary information, etc. The remote computing system 1220 can sendthe processed information to the same or different user devices.

G. Example World Model

An AR system may capture information from a user's environment using oneor more sensors (e.g., visual input 702 from the user's wearable system,stationary input 704 such as room cameras, sensory input 706 fromvarious sensors, gestures, totems, eye tracking, user input from theuser input device 466 etc.) from one or more user wearable systems(e.g., wearable system 200 or display system 220) or stationary roomsystems (e.g., room cameras, etc.) to produce a world model. The worldmodel can effectively act as a map of the user's world (e.g., ambientsurroundings, interactions, etc.) for the placement and interaction ofvirtual objects with the user's perceived physical environment. Forexample, the world model can include a mesh map of the user's physicalenvironment. The mesh map may include a polygon mesh comprisingvertices, edges, and faces that describe shapes of objects. The ARsystem can then use the mesh map to, for example, determine atopological or geologic map of the user's environment, identify one ormore points of stress in the topological or geometric map, determineuser movement in relation to the mesh map, recognize physical objectsbased on the mesh map, or display virtual objects interacting with thephysical objects based on recognized properties of the physical object.

The information associated with the world model (e.g. captured images,map points) can be stored locally on a user's AR system 1310 orremotely. For example, the information can be part of a passable worldmodel such that the information associated with the world model can beuploaded to and retrieved from the cloud by any user with authorizationto access the world model.

FIG. 13A illustrates an exemplary virtual environment 1300 for which aworld model can be generated. For example, a user 1301 wearing awearable device of an augmented reality (AR) system 1310 may walkthrough a physical environment. One or more sensors associated with theAR system 1310 can capture information associated with the physicalenvironment using one or more sensors, such as an outward facing camera,depth sensor, audio sensor, environmental sensor, temperature sensor,humidity sensor, a sensor not on a wearable system (such as a roommounted sensor), a space-based sensor, some combination thereof or thelike. Additionally or alternatively, the AR system 1310 can accessinformation associated with the physical environment previously capturedor processed. For example, the captured information can include dataabout the user's pose, data about the user's physical environment, suchas signed distance field values for generating a mesh map of the user'sphysical environment or pre-determined digital map(s) of the user'sphysical environment. The AR system 1310 can process the information todetermine a plurality of map points 1304, such as sparse points, thatmay be representative of the user's physical environment. In theillustrated embodiment, an image may be taken of the object 1320 (whichresembles a table) and map points 1304 may be collected based on thecaptured image. This forms the core of the world model, as shown bymultiple keyframes (e.g., cameras) 1302 that have captured informationabout the environment.

Map points 1304 can be collected through keyframes 1302. A keyframe 1302can include a position and orientation of a camera or other sensorcapable of collecting information relating to the physical environmentof the user 1301. As shown in FIG. 13A, there may be multiple keyframes1302 that capture information about a space at any given point in time.For example, a keyframe may be another user's AR system capturinginformation from a particular point of view. Another keyframe may be aroom-based camera/sensor system that is capturing images and points 1304through a stationary point of view. By triangulating images and pointsfrom multiple points of view, the position and orientation of realobjects in a 3D space may be determined.

The AR system 1310 can capture information by a keyframe 1302 associatedwith one or more sensors associated with the AR system 1310. Forexample, the AR system 1310 can capture information (e.g., images,location information, position, and orientation information, etc.)relating to the physical environment using an outward facing camera on auser's wearable AR device. Additionally or alternatively, keyframes 1302can include cameras from other user devices, such as mobile devices, webcams, another AR system, some combination thereof or the like.

FIG. 13A illustrates an exemplary virtual environment 1300 for user 1301to observe through augmented reality display system 1310. As illustratedin FIG. 13A, the physical environment user 1301 in which the user islocated may be represented by a plurality of map points 1304, such assparse points collected by a plurality of keyframes 1302. In someembodiments, augmented reality display system 1310 may process aplurality of map points to identify surfaces or specific objects 1320within the physical environment. The more map points 1304 the augmentedreality display system 1310 observes, the more recognition andinferences about the physical environment are possible.

The plurality of map points 1304 can be processed by the AR system 1310to identify surfaces or specific objects 1313 within the physicalenvironment. For example, an image may be taken by one or more sensorsassociated with the AR system 1310 of an object 1313 (e.g., a table).The AR system 1310 may reduce the image to a set of map points 1304. Themap points 1304 may then be analyzed based on the captured image toidentify a surface of the object 1320. For example, object recognizers1312 (e.g., the object recognizers 708) may recognize objects in theenvironment based on the map points 1304 and pose-tagged images capturedthrough the keyframes. The object recognizers 1312 may be on the cloudor on the user's individual system 1310.

The AR system 1310 can generate a world model 1308 using the identifiedsurfaces or specific objects 1320 within the physical environment. Theworld model 1308 can be a combination of raster imagery, point anddescriptors clouds, and polygonal/geometric definitions (referred toherein as parametric geometry).

The AR system 1310 may generate the world model by demand, at startup ofan application, or at a suitable interval. Additionally oralternatively, the AR system 1310 may update an already generated worldmodel. For example, the AR system 1310 can periodically captureinformation about the physical environment of the user 1301 through oneor more keyframes 1302. The AR system 1310 can grow an existing worldmodel based on the continually captured information. The AR system 1310may consult the existing world model (continuously or as needed) inorder to determine how to render virtual content in relation to existingphysical objects of the real world. Advantageously, this constructed andaugmented world model may be “passed” along to one or more AR userssimultaneously or in the future.

Asynchronous communications can be established between multiple user'srespective individual AR systems and cloud based computers (e.g., servercomputers or remote processing modules 270). In other words, the user'sindividual AR system can constantly update information about the user'ssurroundings to the cloud and receiving information from the cloud aboutthe passable world. Thus, rather than each AR user having to captureimages and recognize objects based on the captured images, having anasynchronous system allows the system to be more efficient. Informationthat already exists about that part of the world is automaticallycommunicated to the individual AR system while new information isupdated to the cloud. It should be appreciated that the world modellives both on the cloud or other form of networking computing or peer topeer system and may live on the user's individual AR system.

In one or more embodiments, the AR system may employ different levels ofresolutions for the local components (e.g., local data processing module260) and remote components (e.g., remote processing module 270). This isbecause the remote components (e.g., resources that reside on the cloudservers) are typically more computationally powerful than localcomponents. The cloud based computers may pick data collected by themany different individual AR systems, and/or one or more space or roombased sensor systems and utilize this information to add on to the worldmodel. The cloud based computers may aggregate only the best (e.g., mostuseful) information into a persistent world model. In other words,redundant information and/or less-than-optimal quality information maybe timely disposed so as not to deteriorate the quality and/orperformance of the system.

FIG. 13B illustrates an example method 1350 of interacting with theworld model. At 1352, the user's individual AR system may detect alocation and orientation of the user within the world. In one or moreembodiments, the AR system may derive the location based on atopological map of the system. In other embodiments, the AR system mayderive the location based on GPS or any other localization tool. Itshould be appreciated that the passable world may be constantly accessedby the individual AR system.

In another embodiment (not shown), the user may request access toanother user's space, prompting the system to access that section of thepassable world, and associated parametric information corresponding tothe other user. Thus, there may be many triggers for the passable world.At the simplest level, however, it should be appreciated that thepassable world is constantly being updated and accessed by multiple usersystems, thereby constantly adding, and receiving information from thecloud.

Following the above example, based on the known location of the user, at1354, the system may draw a radius denoting a physical area around theuser that communicates both the position and intended direction of theuser. Next, at 1356, the system may retrieve a piece of the passableworld based on the anticipated position of the user. In one or moreembodiments, the piece of the passable world may contain informationfrom the geometric map of the space acquired through previous keyframesand captured images and data stored in the cloud. At 1358, the AR systemuploads information from the user's environment into the world model. At1360, based on the uploaded information, the AR system renders thepassable world associated with the position of the user to the user'sindividual AR system.

This information enables virtual content to meaningfully interact withthe user's real surroundings in a coherent manner. For example, avirtual “monster” may be rendered to be originating from a particularbuilding of the real world. Or, in another example, a user may leave avirtual object in relation to physical coordinates of the real worldsuch that a friend (also wearing the AR system) finds the virtual objectin the same physical coordinates. In order to enable such capabilities(and many more), it can be advantageous for the AR system to constantlyaccess the passable world to retrieve and upload information. It shouldbe appreciated that the passable world contains persistent digitalrepresentations of real spaces that is utilized in rendering virtualand/or digital content in relation to real coordinates of a physicalspace. It should be appreciated that the AR system may maintaincoordinates of the real world and/or virtual world. In some embodiments,a third party may maintain the map (e.g., coordinates) of the realworld, and the AR system may consult the map to determine one or moreparameters in order to render virtual content in relation to realobjects of the world.

It should be appreciated that the world model does not itself rendercontent that is displayed to the user. Rather it is a high level conceptof dynamically retrieving and updating a persistent digitalrepresentation of the real world in the cloud. In one or moreembodiments, the derived geometric information is loaded onto a gameengine, which then renders content associated with the passable world.Thus, regardless of whether the user is in a particular space or not,that particular space has a digital representation in the cloud that canbe accessed by any user. This piece of the passable world may containinformation about the physical geometry of the space and imagery of thespace, information about various avatars that are occupying the space,information about virtual objects and other miscellaneous information.

One or more object recognizers may examine or “crawl” the world models,tagging points that belong to parametric geometry. Parametric geometry,points and descriptors may be packaged into world models, to allow lowlatency passing or communicating of information corresponding to aportion of a physical world or environment. In one or more embodiments,the AR system can implement a two tier structure, in which the worldmodel allows fast pose processing in a first tier, but then inside thatframework is a second tier (e.g., FAST features). In one or moreembodiments, the second tier structure can increase resolution byperforming a frame-to-frame based three-dimensional (3D) featuremapping.

FIG. 14 illustrates a rich map point environment 2800 having map points2804 captured by a plurality of keyframes 2802. The keyframes 2802 caninclude positions for capturing map points 2804. Each keyframe 2802 mayobserve a certain number of map points 2804 less than the full number ofpotential map points associated with a user's physical environment.Limiting factors for observing map points 2804 include but are notlimited to orientation of the keyframe, occlusion of a map point by aninterfering object, or system limitations such as sensor distancecapabilities underlying the keyframe or any combination of the foregoingor the like. It will be appreciated that as more keyframes 2802 observethe physical environment and the map points disposed within, the greaternumber of map points 2804 can be collected and used by the augmentedreality display system to build a digital re-creation of the physicalenvironment that may be part of a world model, such as a mesh map, onwhich to place and control virtual content for realistic interactions.

FIG. 15A illustrates a plurality 1500 of eligible map points in clusters4302, 4312, and 4322. Clusters may be connected to other clusters or mappoints within the clusters may be linked by segments 4304, 4314, and4324. The number of map points and clusters and segments is proportionalto the richness and utility of a resulting map. For example, the higherthe intersection of the segments at a particular cluster or map point,the higher the likelihood is that there is a map point corresponding toa particular feature in the physical environment.

As illustrated by FIG. 15B, keyframes may not capture every possible mappoint. For example, a subset 1501 of map points captured by keyframesare shown within dashed circles to correspond to the map points capturedby keyframes 4402, 4412 and 4422. FIG. 15C illustrates the resultant mappoints of the subset 1501. A comparison of the plurality 1500 ofeligible map points in FIG. 15A and the subset 1501 of captured mappoints illustrates the problems of incomplete capture. An augmentedreality system may not identify that it is in the physical environmentrepresented by plurality 1500 due to incomplete capture of map points,e.g., the system may produce a false negative. Additionally oralternatively, the augmented reality system may make the wrongconclusions about the physical environment, such as inferring planarsurfaces that do not exist, or creating a map with improper geometries.In all, a poor capture by the keyframes of the map points within thephysical environment may lead to degraded quality in digitalreconstruction of that physical environment.

H. Waypoint Overview

FIGS. 16A-16B illustrate example MR environments 1600 for generating amesh map that may be used as part of a world model or digitalreconstruction of a user's physical environment. For example, as shownin FIG. 16A, to promote fuller capture of map points from a variety ofkeyframes, an AR system 1612 can virtually project a virtual boundingbox 1620 so that it appears (to the user) to be around the user 1610.The AR system 1612 can project at least one waypoint 1618 onto a surface1622 of the bounding box 1620 for the user 1618 to observe visuallywhile complementary sensors on an AR system 1612 capture data in thedirection of the user's observation 1614 towards the waypoint. Theuser's observation direction 1614 can correspond to a forwardorientation of an outward facing camera associated with the AR system.

The AR system 1612 can create the bounding box 1620 around the user 1610and can, but need not, display the bounding box 1620 to the user. Thebounding box 1620 may have any number of geometries. For example, thebounding box 1620 can be a cuboid, polyhedron, ellipsoid (e.g., sphere,oblate spheroid, prolate spheroid), or any other geometric shape. Thebounding box 1620 can be any number of sizes. For example, the boundingbox 1620 can be large enough to encapsulate the user at startup of theAR display system 1612. In another example, the bounding box 1620 can belarge enough to encompass a detected physical environment of the user1610.

The AR system 1612 can display the waypoint 1618 to the user on or neara virtual surface 1622 of the bounding box 1620. In some embodiments,the user 1610 can observe the waypoint 1612 through a guidancemechanism, such as virtual reticle 1616 disposed between the user andthe waypoint. The virtual reticle 1616 can also be referred to as aguidance visual. The virtual reticle 1616 can act as a guide to directthe user 1610 to look at the waypoint 1618. For example, the virtualreticle 1616 can include a guiding graphic (e.g., an arrow 1617) toinform the user where the waypoint is located relative to the user'sobservation direction 1614. When the user 1610 approximately aligns thevirtual reticle 1616 with the waypoint 1618, the AR system 1612 canperform a capture of data (e.g., a keyframe capture) for the physicalenvironment in the direction of the user 1610 observing the waypoint1618.

As depicted in FIG. 16B, upon capture of data from the portion of theuser's physical environment that lies in the direction of the user's1610 observation of the waypoint 1618, the bounding box can expand toencapsulate map points or depth data (also referred to as a real worldcollision) associated with the observed portion of the user's physicalenvironment. Optionally, the AR system can project a success graphic1622 (e.g., a checkmark symbol) in place of the waypoint 1618 uponsuccessful keyframe capture. In the event of a partially or completelyunsuccessful keyframe capture, the AR system 1612 can inform the user ofa failure to mesh (e.g., via an unsuccessful graph such as a thumbs-downsymbol). Additionally or alternatively, the AR system 1612 can project agraphical representation 1624 of successfully mapped points (forexample, in the form of a mesh 1624).

The AR system 1612 can also cause projection of a second waypoint 1619on a virtual surface of the bounding box 1620 to be viewed through avirtual reticle 1616. The AR system 1612 can repeat this sequence toperform a capture of data (e.g., a keyframe capture) at other waypoints1626. In some embodiments, this sequential observation can occur for aplurality of waypoints to provide a rich keyframe capture of potentialmap points. The sequential observation can occur for 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16or more waypoints or any suitable number of waypoints.

The waypoints 1618, 1619, 1626 can be determined for placement on anynumber of virtual surfaces of a bounding box 1620. The user can beguided through a sequential observation of each waypoint 1618, 1619,1626 in a sequence by the augmented reality display system 1612according to any suitable criteria. For example, the AR system 1612 canguide the user through sequential observation based on which waypointposition is closest to a display screen center of the augmented realitydisplay device 1612 or based on user gaze direction, as described withreference to FIG. 17 below. In some embodiments, locations of one ormore of the waypoints may be predetermined for use in the sequence, forexample, locations at center positions of six faces of a bounding cubearound the user.

I. Sequential Observation

FIG. 17 illustrates an example determination of a waypoint during asequential observation. For example, a display screen 1716 can include acenter point 1718. The AR system 1612 can render one or more waypointsto appear at locations on a bounding box (not shown) surrounding theuser (for example, bounding box 1620 as shown in FIGS. 16A-B). Forexample, a waypoint 1714 can appear on the display screen 1716 at alocation 1720. The AR system may guide the user's observation of thephysical environment using the waypoint location 1720. For example, theAR system may render six waypoints on a cuboid bounding box, e.g., onewaypoint on each of the six surfaces of the cuboid. The AR system maydetermine the nearest unmeshed waypoint for each of the six waypoints.The AR system may guide the user to observe a first unmeshed waypoint ata location 1720 of the six waypoints. In some embodiments, upon asuccessful mesh or collection of data, the AR system may determine asecond unmeshed waypoint and guide the user to the second unmeshedwaypoint. The AR system may continue this process until a completioncriterion is met. For example, the completion criterion can include thatall waypoint locations have been completed or attempted, that a 3Dregion is meshed to a threshold percentage of completion, or adetermination that a 3D region cannot be meshed (e.g., due toinsufficient data).

The AR system can guide the user to look towards the waypoint 1714 basedon the waypoint's location 1720 on the display screen 1716. For example,in a polar coordinate system, the location 1720 can be an angle θ1 1724away from the center point 1718. In another example, in Euclideancoordinates, the location 1720 can be a distance 1722 away from thecenter point 1718. The guidance can determine the nearest waypoint 1714by determining the smallest angle θ1 1724 or distance 1722 from thecenter point 1718 to the waypoint location 1720 on the display screen1716. The AR system can then guide the user to observe the nearestwaypoint 1714.

The display screen 1716 can be part of an AR device. For example, the ARdevice can be an HMD (e.g., the system 200 described with reference toFIG. 2 ) or mobile device (e.g., cellular telephone or tablet display).The center point 1718 can be a physical center of the display screen1716. For example, the display screen 1716 can be a mobile device with aviewing screen. The center point 1718 can be the physical center of theviewing screen. In another example, the display screen 1716 can be partof an HMD. The HMD can have one or more display screens 1716. Forexample, the HMD can have a display screen 1716 for each of the user'seyes 1710. The center point 1718 can be a physical center of an HMDdisplay screen associated with each of the user's eyes 1710.

Additionally or alternatively, the center point 1718 can be a center ofthe display screen 1716 relative to a user's eye 1710. For example, thecenter point 1718 can be defined according to the user's center gazewhile wearing an HMD containing the display screen 1716. The centerpoint 1718 can be determined during a calibration process. For example,the center point 1718 can be determined when the user puts the HMD on orbe adjusted according to the position of the HMD on the user's head.

Additionally or alternatively, the center point 1718 can be a fixedlocation in the user's 3D space. For example, the center point 1718 canbe a location associated with a user's forward or center gaze. Inanother example, the center point 1718 can be a location associated withthe user's facing direction. The user's facing direction can bedetermined by the user's pose, such as the user's hand location or headorientation. In another example, the center point 1718 can be a locationassociated with the AR system's facing direction. The location of thecenter point can remain fixed relative to the user's physicalenvironment and move or disappear on the display screen 1716 as the usermoves the display screen 1716 within the user's physical environment.

Additionally or alternatively, the location of the center point 1718 canbe a location associated with a surface of a 3D region surrounding theuser. For example, the AR system can virtually project a cuboid boundingbox around the user. The center point 1718 can be a location on asurface of the bounding box. Additionally or alternatively, the centerpoint 1718 can be determined based on any combination of gaze direction,physical center of the display screen 1716, relative center of thedisplay 1716, AR system facing direction, location on a 3D regionsurrounding the user or the like.

One or more waypoints 1714 may be rendered or virtually projected by theAR system onto a region of 3D space surrounding the user. For example,the AR system may render six waypoints on a cuboid bounding box, onewaypoint for each surface of the cuboid. The waypoints 1714 can havedifferent locations relative to the user or the center point 1718. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 17 , a waypoint 1714 can have a location1720 on a display screen 1716 relative to a center point 1718.

The location 1720 can be defined in any suitable coordinate system. Forexample, the location 1720 can be defined according to a polar orspherical coordinate system having a polar axis 1711. The polar axis1711 can be associated with a gaze direction towards the center point1718 from the user's eye 1710. Additionally or alternatively, the polaraxis 1711 can be associated with any suitable point, location, ordirection in the user's physical environment or on the display screen1716. The location 1720 can be a polar or azimuthal angle θ1 1724relative to the polar axis 1711. Additionally or alternatively, thelocation 1720 can be defined in Euclidean space. For example, thelocation 1720 can be defined in Cartesian coordinates and have adistance 1722 relative to the center location 1718.

The AR system can guide a user to direct their gaze 1713 towards awaypoint 1714 based on the location 1720 of the waypoint 1714. Forexample, the AR system may render or virtually project one or morewaypoints 1714 having different locations 1720. The AR system maydetermine a nearest waypoint 1714 based on the distance of a waypoint'slocation 1720 relative to the center point 1718. The AR system may thenguide the user to direct their gaze 1713 towards the nearest waypoint1714 based on that determination.

The AR system can guide a user to direct their gaze 1713 towards awaypoint 1714 based on an angle or distance between the user's gaze 1713and a line 1712 between the user's eye and the waypoint. For example,the AR system can direct the user's gaze to the next waypoint based byusing the smallest angle between user's gaze line and the line betweenthe user's eye and the waypoint. For example, the AR system candetermine the smallest angle θ2 1725 to the waypoint location 1720 onthe display screen 1716. The AR system can then guide the user toobserve the nearest waypoint 1714.

The AR system may guide the user to observe any of one or more waypoints1714 based on any number of criteria related to the mesh map. Forexample, the AR system may determine that more data is needed at certainparts of a 3D region of the user's physical environment. The 3D regionmay be associated with a surface of the bounding box upon which thewaypoints 1714 are rendered or virtually projected. The AR system maythen guide the user to direct their gaze 1713 towards waypointsassociated with the parts of the 3D region that need more data. Forexample, the AR system may guide the user to direct their gaze 1713towards a waypoint associated with an unmeshed area of the 3D regionupon which the waypoints 1714 are rendered or virtually projected. Inanother example, the AR system can guide the user to observe a nearestwaypoint location 1720 associated with an unmeshed area of the 3Dregion.

J. Bounding Box

FIG. 18 is a graphic illustrating a 2D cross-section representation ofan example bounding box 1812 from a top down view that may be used tovirtually project or render waypoints around location 1810. The boundingbox 1812 can correspond to any 3D geometry. For example, FIG. 18 shows a2D representation of an example cuboid bounding box having six surfaces.The bounding box 1812 can be positioned at a location 1810. The ARsystem can modify the size or shape of bounding box 1812A to a boundingbox 1812B according to any suitable criteria (e.g., due to movement ofthe user, partial or full completion of the waypoint process, etc.). Themodification in size or shape can be symmetric or asymmetric. Forexample, the bounding box 1812B can have different proportions thanbounding box 1812A.

The location 1810 can be any suitable location relative to the AR systemor the user. For example, the location 1810 can be a location of auser's head. In another example, the location 1810 can be a location ofthe user's hand or other body part. Additionally or alternatively, thelocation 1810 can correspond to a position of an AR device, such as anHMD or mobile device.

The bounding box 1812 can have any suitable size or shape. For example,the bounding box 1812 can correspond to a 3D region of space within thephysical environment of the user. The bounding box 1812 can correspondto a geometric shape suitable to mesh for use with an AR system. Forexample, the bounding box 1812 can be a cuboid, sphere, or any othergeometric shape.

In some embodiments, the volume of the bounding box 1812 can be fixed.For example, the bounding box 1812 can be a geometric shape with a fixedvolume, such as a cuboid centered at the location 1810.

Additionally or alternatively, the volume of the bounding box 1812 canbe modifiable. For example, the bounding box 1812 can initially be small(1812A) and expand to a larger bounding box (1812B). For example, aninitial volume of the bounding box 1812 can be 0. The AR system can thenincrease the size or volume of the bounding box 1812. For example, theAR system can increase the size or volume of the bounding box 1812 toencompass the user. Additionally or alternatively, the AR system canincrease the size or volume of the bounding box 1812 to encompass ameshed area of 3D space within the user's environment. For example, oncea portion of the bounding box has been meshed, the meshed area mayextend outside of the initial bounding box, and the AR system canincrease the volume of the bounding box to include the meshed area.

The AR system can modify the bounding box 1812A to generate a boundingbox 1812B of the same or different shape or dimension than the boundingbox 1812A. For example, the bounding box 1812A can be a cuboid boundingbox having six sides, including sides 1816A, 1816B, 1816C, and 1816D.The AR system can push out the sides of the cuboid bounding box togenerate a bounding box 1812B. For example, the AR system can push outportions of the region asymmetrically. For example, if the bounding box1812A is a cuboid bounding box, the AR system can add different amountsof padding to the bounding box 1812A. A padding can include any numberof areas or volumes. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 18 , the ARsystem can add padding 1814A to side 1816A, add padding to 1814B to side1816B, add padding 18140 to side 1816C, or add padding 1814D to side1816D. Additionally or alternatively, the AR system can add padding toother portions of the bounding box 1812A.

K. Determining Waypoint Locations

FIG. 19A illustrates example meshing environment 1900 showing waypointlocations on an example bounding box. For example, an AR system 1901 cangenerate a bounding box 1914 around a user 1912. The bounding box 1914can have one or more surfaces (e.g., 1916A, 1916B, 1916D, 1916E, 1916F).The AR system 1901 can determine locations (e.g., 1910A, 1910B, 1910C,1910D, 1910E, 1910F) on the one or more surfaces of the bounding box1914 to render or virtually project waypoints.

The AR system 1901 can determine the number and location (1910A, 1910B,1910C, 1910D, 1910E, 1910F) of waypoints on the one or more surfaces(1916A, 1916B, 1916D, 1916E, 1916F) of the bounding box 1914 using anynumber of criteria. The criteria can include information associated withthe geometric shape of the bounding box 1914, such as the number ofsides, symmetry of the shape, orientation of the shape, or any othergeometric properties of the bounding box 1914.

For example, the shape of the bounding box 1914 can include a cuboid.The information associated with the cuboid shape can include that it hassix sides. The AR system 1901 can render or virtually project waypointsfor each of the six sides of the cuboid bounding box 1914. The projectedlocations (1910A, 1910B, 1910C, 1910D, 1910E, 1910F) of the waypointscan include any number of locations on the one or more surfaces (1916A,1916B, 1916D, 1916E, 1916F) of the cuboid bounding box 1914. Forexample, the AR system 1901 can select waypoint locations at centralpoints on the one or more surfaces (1916A, 1916B, 1916D, 1916E, 1916F).A central point can include the geometric center of a surface. Forexample, a surface 1916A can have a length of X1 and a height of X2. Thecentral point can include a point at a location of half the length(e.g., X1/2) and half the height (e.g., X2/2) of the surface 1916Arelative to a corner 1917 of the surface 1916A. Additionally oralternatively, the location can include a location relative to aninitial observation direction 1911 of the user 1912. For example, thewaypoint location can be a location on the bounding box 1914 thatintersects with the user's initial observation direction 1911 when thebounding box 1914 is generated.

Additionally or alternatively, the criteria can include map pointlocations, previous keyframe captures, or the existence of alreadymeshed portions of the bounding box 1914. For example, the AR system1901 can determine that a portion of the bounding box 1914 has alreadybeen meshed. The AR system 1901 can then select waypoint locations(1910A, 1910B, 1910C, 1910D, 1910E, 1910F) that correspond to portionsof the bounding box 1914 that have not been meshed. For example, thebounding box 1914 may be a cuboid having a surface 1916A. A portion ofthe surface 1916A may be meshed around a location corresponding to auser's initial observation direction 1911 shortly after or while thebounding box 1914 is generated. The AR system 1901 may determine awaypoint location 1910A (e.g. on the surface 1916A) at a position awayfrom the meshed portion of the surface 1916A in order to mesh adifferent portion of the surface 1916A.

Additionally or alternatively, the criteria can include informationassociated with the user 1912 or AR system 1901. For example, a portionof the surface 1916A may be meshed around a location corresponding to auser's 1912 or the AR system's 1901 initial facing direction within thebounding box 1914. The AR system 1901 may determine a waypoint locationat a point associated with that initial facing direction. For example,an AR system 1901 may be facing a surface 1916F of a cuboid bounding box1914. The AR system 1901 can generate a waypoint at a center location1910F of the surface 1916F such that the generated waypoint is in thecenter of the display of the AR system 1901.

Additionally or alternatively, the criteria can include any number ofother suitable conditions or information associated with the user 1912,the AR system 1901, the bounding box 1914, or the user's 1912 physicalenvironment. For example, user's 1912 physical environment can includean outdoor location with an open sky. The AR system 1901 may be able torecognize the open sky and determine that a waypoint location is notnecessary because the AR system 1901 can approximate map points to meshthe open sky. Additionally or alternatively, the AR system 1901 may beable to recognize more complex areas of the user's 1912 physicalenvironment within the bounding box 1914 and generate waypoint locationscorresponding to the more complex areas. For example, the bounding box1914 may encompass a set of table and chairs in a room. The table andchairs may require more map points to properly mesh. Thus, the AR system1901 may generate waypoints at locations near or on the table and chairsin order to collect more keyframe captures for those extra map pointsand mesh that portion of the user's physical environment.

The waypoint locations (1910A, 1910B, 1910C, 1910D, 1910E, 1910F) can befixed or variable with respect to surfaces of the bounding box 1914. Forexample, the waypoint locations (1910A, 1910B, 1910C, 1910D, 1910E,1910F) can be fixed with respect to the one or more surfaces (1916A,1916B, 1916D, 1916E, 1916F) of the bounding box 1914. In anotherexample, the waypoint locations (1910A, 1910B, 1910C, 1910D, 1910E,1910F) can be variable with respect to the one or more surfaces (1916A,1916B, 1916D, 1916E, 1916F) of the bounding box 1914 and fixed relativeto the user's 1912 physical environment or the user or AR system 1901'sorientation within the user's 1912 physical environment or bounding box1914.

As illustrated in FIG. 19B, the AR system 1901 can determine waypointlocations 1920 with respect to other waypoint locations 1910A. Forexample, AR system 1901 can determine one or more initial waypointlocations 1910A on a surface 1916A associated with a bounding box 1914.The AR system 1901 can determine subsequent waypoint locations 1920. Thesubsequent waypoint locations (sometimes referred to as sub-waypointlocations) 1920 can be at a distance 6 1922 in polar or sphericalcoordinates from a polar axis 1924 defined according to a line formedbetween the user 1912 and the waypoint location 1910A. For example, thewaypoint locations 1920 can be, e.g., 5 degrees, 10 degrees, 15 degrees,or more from the polar axis 1924. Additionally or alternatively, thesubsequent waypoint locations 1920 can be at a distance d in Euclideanspace from the initial waypoint location 1910A. The distance d can be afraction of the size of a surface of the bounding box, e.g., ⅕, ¼, ⅓, ½or more of the size.

The number and location of subsequent waypoint locations 1920 can bepredetermined, based on the initial waypoint locations, the bounding box1914 geometry, or information collected by the AR system 1901. Thesubsequent waypoint locations 1920 can be determined based on thegeometry of the bounding box 1914 such that waypoint locations 1920 areselected to guide the user to direct their gaze to locations within thebounding box 1914 that includes the majority of the bounding box 1914.For example, the AR system 1901 can determine that a cuboid bounding box1914 can have six initial waypoint locations and four subsequentwaypoint locations 1920 for each of the six initial waypoint locations1910A. In another example, the AR system 1901 can determine that aspherical bounding box 1914 can have an initial five waypoint locations1920 and five subsequent locations 1920 for each of the five initialwaypoint locations 1910A.

A subsequent waypoint location 1920 can be determined based oninformation captured by the AR system 1901. For example, the AR system1901 can guide the user to look at or point the AR system 1901 towardswaypoint locations 1910A, 1910B, 1910C, 1910D, 1910E, and 1910F. The ARsystem 1901 may capture information using one or more outward facingcameras. The AR system 1901 may use the captured information todetermine the subsequent waypoint locations 1920. For example, the ARsystem 1901 can perform keyframe captures at the initial waypointlocations 1910A, 1910B, 1910C, 1910D, 1910E, or 1910F. The AR system1901 can generate a mesh associated with those keyframe captures. Theremay be portions of the bounding box 1914 that are not meshed. The ARsystem 1901 can determine subsequent waypoint locations 1920 that areassociated with portions of the bounding box 1914 that are not meshed.

A number of waypoints or waypoint locations for initial and subsequentwaypoints can be any suitable number for the user's physical environmentor bounding box geometry. For example, the AR system can determine orrender between 0 and 100 waypoints and waypoint locations. For example,the AR system can determine 6, 21, or 54 waypoints. The AR system candetermine or render any number of waypoints on each surface of thebounding box. For example, the AR system can determine or render between0 and 10 waypoints and waypoint locations on each surface. For example,the AR system can determine five waypoints on a floor surface of thebounding box. In another example, the AR system can determine fourwaypoints on an upper surface of the bounding box. In another example,the AR system can determine three waypoints on a side surface of thebounding box.

L. User Interaction with Waypoints

FIG. 20 illustrates an example MR environment 220 that can include auser moving within their physical environment. For example, the ARsystem 2001 can generate waypoints 2010 on surfaces of the bounding box2014. The bounding box 2014 may be generated around a user 2012 at aninitial location 2020. The user may move within their physicalenvironment along a path 2022 shown as a dashed line in FIG. 20 .

The bounding box 2014 can be fixed relative to the user's 2012 initiallocation 2020. For example, the bounding box 2014 can be generatedaround the user 2012 at location 2020. The user 2014 may move aroundwithin the bounding box 2014 in order to look at the waypoints 2010 onone or more surfaces of the bounding box 2014. Additionally oralternatively, the user 2014 may move outside of the bounding box 2014.Where the user 2014 moves outside the bounding box 2014, the AR system2001 may maintain the same waypoint locations 2010 on the one or moresurfaces of the bounding box 2014, independent from the position of theuser. Additionally or alternatively, where the user 2014 moves outsidethe bounding box 2014, the AR system 2001 may expand the bounding box2014 to encompass the user 2012. Where the AR system 2001 expands thebounding box 2014, the AR system 2001 may determine and render orproject additional waypoints 2010 for the expanded portion of thebounding box 2014.

Additionally or alternatively, the bounding box 2014 may move relativeto the user 2014 or AR system 2001. For example, the user 2012 may moveoutside the bounding box 2014. Where the user 2014 moves outside thebounding box 2014, the AR system 2001 can move the bounding box 2014 toencompass the user 2012 without significantly modifying the bounding box2014. The AR system 2001 may generate new waypoints 2010 relative to theuser's 2012 new location. Additionally or alternatively, the AR system2001 may fix the waypoints 2010 relative to the bounding box 2014 suchthat the waypoints 2010 move with the bounding box 2014.

M. User Guidance

FIG. 21 shows an example MR environment 2100 that can include a guidance2150 to guide a user to sequentially observe (by, for example facing anoutward facing camera of an AR system 2101 at) unmeshed areas 2131 in anexample bounding box 2114. For example, the AR system 2101 can utilize aguidance 2150 to direct the user's observation 2111 to unmeshed areasassociated with waypoints 2120D, 2120E, 2120F. The guidance 2150 caninclude directional information to guide the user to the next waypointin a sequence. Upon successful completion of a mesh at a waypointlocation, the AR system 2101 can notify the user of success. Forexample, the AR system 2101 can display a success marker 2140 or displaya rendering of a mesh 2130 on the surface 2116A of the bounding box2114. Upon failure to mesh at a waypoint location, the AR system 2101can notify a user of failure. For example, the AR system 2101 candisplay a failure marker 2120 or display a representation of a failedmesh 2131 on the surface 2116B of the bounding box 2114.

A guidance 2150 can be any suitable guide or indicator to guide the userto observe a portion of their physical environment. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 21 , the guidance 2150 can be visual. However, itwill be appreciated that the guidance 2150 can include indicators forany number of user senses.

The guidance 2105 can any combination of visual, audible, or haptic. Forexample, the guidance 2105 can include sound(s) or verbal instruction(e.g., from the speaker 240 of FIG. 2 ) as to a direction to point theoutward facing camera of the AR system 2101. Additionally oralternatively, the guidance 2150 can include a visual guide to indicatea direction to point the outward facing camera of an AR system 2101. Thevisual guide can also indicate the current facing direction of theoutward facing camera of the AR system 2101. The visual guide caninclude a graphical guidance or a text instruction or guidance.Additionally or alternatively, the guidance 2150 can include hapticfeedback (e.g., from a haptic device or totem, such as the user inputdevice 466 of FIG. 4 ) associated with the current facing direction ofthe outward facing camera of the AR device and the waypoint locations.For example, the haptic feedback can include a pulsing signal from auser input device. The pulsing signal can have a particular frequency orpattern. The AR system can change the pulsing signal's frequency orpattern based on the current facing direction of the outward facingcamera of the AR device and the waypoint locations. For example, as theoutward facing camera points closer to a waypoint location, the ARsystem can increase the frequency of the pulsing signal.

FIGS. 22A-22D illustrate various example guidance visuals provided bythe AR system to direct a user to point the AR system 2101 at a locationon the bounding box 2114. For example, a guidance visual 2210 can directa user to point the outward facing camera associated with an AR system2101 towards a waypoint 2216 that may be located on a surface (2116A,2116B, 2116D, 2116E, 2116F) of a bounding box 2114.

The guidance visual 2210 can change according to mesh conditions, suchas how much of the bounding box 2114 has been meshed, a number ofwaypoints that have yet to be completed or that have been completed,some combination thereof or the like. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 22A at a start of the mesh process or at the initial virtualprojection of the waypoints 2216, the AR system 2101 can includeinstructions as to what the user should look for in the bounding box2114. In another example, FIG. 22B illustrates an example guidancevisual 2210 that may be displayed (e.g. rendered or virtually projected)by an AR system 2101 during a mesh process. In another example, FIG. 22Cillustrates an example of the guidance visual 2210 that may be displayed(e.g. rendered or virtually projected) by an AR system 2101 while anoutward facing camera is facing a waypoint 2216. In another example,FIG. 22D illustrates an example guidance visual 2210 that may bedisplayed (e.g. rendered or virtually projected) by an AR system 2101after waypoints 2216 have been processed and there are still unmeshedportions of a bounding box 2114.

The guidance visual 2210 can include a graphic 2214 or text 2220. Theguidance visual 2210 may be displayed by the AR system 2101 at any pointduring a meshing process. For example, the guidance visual 2210 can bedisplayed upon start of the initial virtual projection of the waypoints2216. The guidance visual 2210 can display the graphic 2214 or the text2220 separately or concurrently. For example, the graphic 2214 canappear without the text 2220 or the text 2220 can be displayed withoutthe graphic 2214. In some embodiments, the graphic 2214 or text 2220 maybe displayed if the display system does not complete a waypoint within atime threshold.

The text 2220 can include verbal or graphic instruction associated witha guidance 2150. For example, the text 2220 can include writteninstructions to look at waypoints. In the illustrated example of FIG.22A, the text 2220 states that the user should “Look around for[waypoints] to setup your virtual environment,” with a graphic in placeof “[waypoints]”. In another example, the text 2220 can include textindicating how many more waypoints can, should be, or have beenattempted. In the illustrated example of FIG. 22B, the text 2220 statesthat the user is “halfway there!” to indicate that half of the waypoints2216 have been attempted. Additionally or alternatively, the text 2220can include an animation associated with an instruction. For example,the text 2220 can include an animation to indicate to the user how muchof the mesh is complete, such as a variable bar graph or progress bar.Use of such instructions or graphics advantageously can increase theenjoyability of the waypoint process for the user.

The graphic 2214 can be any number of visuals of any number of sizes orshapes. For example, the graphic 2214 can include a geometric shape 2213approximately corresponding to the geometric shape of the waypoints2216. Advantageously, using a geometric shape 2213 approximatelycorresponding to the geometric shape of the waypoints 2216 can aid theuser in matching the guidance 2210 to the waypoints 2216. For example,the waypoints 2216 may have a circular outer shape. The graphic 2214 caninclude a ring shape 2213 that approximately corresponds to the size andshape of the waypoints 2216.

Additionally or alternatively, the graphic 2214 can include adirectional component 2212. The directional component 2212 can include avisual that indicates a direction for the user to look in the user'sphysical environment. For example, the directional component 2212 can bean arrow, chevron, some combination thereof or the like. The directionalcomponent 2212 can indicate a direction towards a waypoint 2216 that maybe associated with a portion of the user's physical environment.Additionally or alternatively, the directional component 2212 canindicate a direction towards an unmeshed area of the user's physicalenvironment.

The AR system can change the graphic 2214 according to mesh conditions,such as how much of the bounding box 2114 has been meshed, a number ofwaypoints that have yet to be completed or that have been completed,some combination thereof or the like. For example, the graphic 2214 caninclude a region progress indicator 2218 that indicates the amount ofprogress that the user has made towards a determined goal. The regionprogress indicator 2218 can be any suitable visual for displaying anamount of progress towards reaching a determined goal. For example, inthe illustrated example in FIG. 22B, the region progress indicator 2218includes a partial ring shape to overlay the ring shape 2213. In anotherexample, the region progress indicator 2218 can include a progress bar,pie graph, a combination thereof or the like. The region progressindicator 2218 can indicate progress towards the goal of the user facingthe outward facing camera of the AR system 2101 at each waypointlocation on the bounding box 2114. Additionally or alternatively, theregion progress indicator 2218 can indicate progress towards meshing theentire or a portion of the bounding box 2114.

As illustrated in FIG. 22C, the AR system 2101 can modify the guidancevisual 2210 or waypoint 2216 to indicate meshing progress while anoutward facing camera of an AR system 2101 is pointed at a waypoint2216. For example, the AR system 2101 can display a waypoint progressindicator 2222. The waypoint progress indicator 2222 can be any suitablevisual for displaying an amount of progress towards meshing (e.g.,generating a mesh map of the user's environment). For example, in theillustrated example in FIG. 22C, the waypoint progress indicator 2222includes a partial ring shape that can be placed inside or adjacent tothe waypoint 2216 during observation of a waypoint 2216. In anotherexample, the waypoint progress indicator 2222 can include a progressbar, pie graph, a combination thereof or the like. The region progressindicator 2218 can indicate progress towards the meshing a portion ofthe bounding box 2114 surrounding the waypoint 2216.

As illustrated in FIG. 22D, the guidance visual 2210 can guide a user toface an outward facing camera of an AR system 2101 to unmeshed areas2131 of a bounding box 2114. For example, the user may have attempted tomesh all the generated waypoints in a bounding box 2114. The AR system2101 may have been unable to mesh a portion of the bounding box 2114(e.g. unmeshed area 2131 in FIG. 21 ). The AR system 2101 can guide theuser to face the outward facing camera of the AR system 2101 towardsunmeshed areas 2131 that may not have associated waypoints 2216. Asmentioned above, the guidance visual 2210 can include a region progressindicator 2218. Where no waypoints 2216 are displayed on surfaces(2116A, 2116B, 2116D, 2116E, 2116F) in the bounding box 2114, the regionprogress indicator 2218 can indicate progress towards meshing the entireor a portion of the bounding box 2114.

N. Example Meshing Process

FIG. 23 is a process flow diagram of an example process 2300 for mappinga user's environment with waypoints. The process 2300 may be implementedby an AR system, such as AR system 200. For example, the process 2300can include a bounding box generation step at block 2310, a waypointdetermination step at block 2312, a visual guidance determination stepat block 2314, a data capture step at block 2323, and a mesh step atblock 2318.

At a block 2310, the AR system can generate a bounding box. As describedabove with reference to FIG. 18 , the bounding box can correspond to any3D space of any size or shape. The AR system may modify the bounding boxat block 2310 to encompass objects outside the bounding box within theuser's physical environment. For example, the AR system may expand thebounding box to encompass the user. In another example, the AR systemmay expand the bounding box to encompass a mesh or map points associatedwith objects within the user's physical environment.

At a block 2312, the AR system can determine waypoint locations andgenerate waypoints. As described with reference to FIGS. 19A-19B, the ARsystem can determine waypoint locations on one or more surfaces of abounding box or region using any number of criteria. For example, thecriteria can include information associated with the geometric shape ofthe bounding box, such as the number of sides, symmetry of the shape,orientation of the shape, or any other geometric properties of thebounding box. The AR system can additionally or alternatively generatewaypoints based on other waypoint locations. For example, the AR systemcan determine initial waypoint locations on a bounding box. The ARsystem can then determine subsequent waypoint locations in relation tothe initial waypoint locations.

At a block 2314, the AR system can generate a guidance. The guidance canbe a visual, audible, or tactile indicator to the user of the AR systemto move an outward facing camera of the AR system. For example, asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 21-22D, the guidance can include aguidance visual 2210. The guidance can guide the user to move theoutward facing camera of the AR system to point at waypoints or unmeshedareas of the bounding box. The guidance can change according todifferent conditions. The conditions can include how much of thebounding box has been meshed, a number of waypoints that have yet to becompleted or that have been completed, some combination thereof or thelike.

At a block 2316, the AR system can capture data. For example, asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 13-16B, the AR system can captureinformation through one or more keyframes. For example a camera or otherimage capture device can capture images of the user's environment andgenerate keyframes. The information can include map point dataassociated with objects within the user's physical environment. The ARsystem may capture information associated within a bounding box orregion generated at block 2310. Additionally or alternatively, the ARsystem may capture information associated with the waypoints determinedat block 2312. For example, the AR system may direct the user, by theguidance generated at block 2314, to point an outward facing cameraassociated with the AR system towards a waypoint or unmeshed portion ofthe bounding box generated at block 2310. The AR system may detect thatthe outward facing camera is facing the waypoint or unmeshed portion ofthe bounding box and capture information associated with that waypointor unmeshed area using the outward facing camera. For example, theoutward facing camera can take one or more images of the user's physicalenvironment while the outward facing camera is pointed at a waypoint oran unmeshed portion of a bounding box.

At a block 2318, the AR system can mesh the environment of the user. Forexample, the AR system can determine map points for objects captured atblock 2316. The AR system can use the map points to generate a digitalre-creation of the physical environment of the user in the form of, forexample, a mesh map, a sparse map, or a dense map. The digitalre-creation of the physical environment can then be utilized to placeand control virtual content. The AR system can indicate to the user thata digital re-creation has been generated by generating and displaying a2D or 3D representation of the digital re-creation. For example, the ARsystem can display a set of connected map points as a representation ofa mesh.

O. Example User Feedback

FIG. 24 is a process flow diagram of an example process 2400 fornotifying a user of mesh completion or failure. For example, the process2400 can include a data capture step at block 2410, a data criteriadetermination step at a block 2412, a mesh step at a block 2414, abounding box expansion step at a block 2418, a success notification stepat a block 2420, a failure notification step at a block 2422, a meshcriteria determination step at a block 2424, and a user end notificationstep at a block 2426. The AR system 200 can perform the process 2400.

At a block 2410, the AR system can capture data. For example, asdescribed with above with reference to FIG. 23 at block 2316, the ARsystem can capture information through one or more keyframes. Thekeyframes can include the outward facing camera of the AR system. Theinformation can include map point data associated with objects withinthe user's physical environment. The AR system may capture informationassociated within a bounding box or region generated at block 2310.Additionally or alternatively, the AR system may capture informationassociated with the waypoints determined at block 2312. For example, theAR system may direct the user, by the guidance generated at block 2314,to point an outward facing camera associated with the AR system towardsa waypoint or unmeshed portion of the bounding box generated at block2310. The AR system may detect that an outward facing camera is facingthe waypoint or unmeshed portion of the user's physical environment andcapture information associated with that waypoint or unmeshed area usingthe outward facing camera.

At a block 2412, the AR system can determine whether the data from block2410 meets a criterion. The criteria can include any suitable conditionsfor determining whether a mesh can be created using the data from block2410. For example, the criteria can include a threshold signal to noiseratio for the captured data. In another example, the criteria caninclude a number of map points generated from the captured data. Inanother example, the criteria can include a user determination that anumber of map points is satisfactory. If the criteria is met at block2412, then the AR system can proceed to block 2414 and process the datato generate a mesh. If the criteria is not met at block 2412, then theAR system can proceed to block 2422 and notify the user of a meshfailure. Additionally or alternatively, the system can attempt togenerate a mesh based on the captured data from block 2410 and thenperform the criteria determination step at block 2412.

Additionally or alternatively, the blocks 2410 and 2412 can be combinedinto a single step. For example, the AR system can continually orperiodically capture data until a criterion is met. The criteria can bea threshold number of map points that can be generated from the captureddata. Additionally or alternatively, the criteria can be whether thedata was captured under a time limit. For example, the AR system cancapture data within a time limit of 3 to 10 seconds. For example, the ARsystem can capture data within a time limit of 5 seconds. If the ARsystem succeeds in capturing enough quality data to mesh the portion ofthe environment that the AR system is attempting to mesh under that timelimit, the AR system may proceed to block 2414. If the AR system failsto capture enough quality data to mesh the environment, then the ARsystem may proceed to block 2422.

At block 2414, the AR system can mesh a portion of the physicalenvironment. For example, the AR system can use the data from block 2410to generate a digital re-creation of the physical environment of theuser in the form of, for example, a mesh map. The portion of thephysical environment that is meshed (e.g., for which a mesh map has beengenerated) can include one or more portions associated with one or morewaypoints or unmeshed portions of a bounding box at which a user hascaptured data at a block 2410.

At block 2418, the AR system can expand a bounding box to encompass themeshed portion. For example, the AR system can capture data associatedwith a physical environment of the user that may be outside of thebounding box. The AR system can mesh that outside portion of thephysical environment and expand the bounding box to encompass thatportion of the physical environment.

At block 2420, the AR system can notify a user of a mesh completion forthe portion of the physical environment of which the AR system captureddata at block 2410. The notification can include audible, visual, ortactile feedback for the user. For example, the notification can includean audible chime. Additionally or alternatively, the notification caninclude the display of a representation of the completed mesh. Forexample, the AR system can indicate to the user that a map, e.g., a meshmap, a sparse map, or a dense map, has been generated by generating anddisplaying a 2D or 3D representation of the mesh. For example, the ARsystem can display a set of connected map points as a representation ofthe mesh. Additionally or alternatively, the notification can includehaptic feedback from a totem associated with the AR system.

At block 2422, the AR system can notify a user of a mesh failure for theportion of the physical environment of which the AR system captured dataat block 2410. The notification can include audible, visual, or tactilefeedback for the user. For example, the notification can include anaudible chime that may be different from the chime in block 2420.Additionally or alternatively, the notification can include the displayof a representation of the failed mesh. For example, the AR system candisplay one or more failure symbols (e.g. the “x” symbols shown in FIG.21 in unmeshed region 2131). Additionally or alternatively, thenotification can include haptic feedback from a totem associated withthe AR system.

At a block 2424, the AR system can determine whether the generated meshmeets a criterion. The criteria can include any suitable conditions fordetermining whether a mesh map of the user's physical environment issatisfactory for the display and interaction of virtual content. Forexample, the criteria can include a percentage of the physicalenvironment that has been meshed. In another example, the criteria canwhether certain surfaces of the user's physical environment have beenidentified (e.g. one or more walls or the floor). If the criteria is metat block 2424, then the AR system can proceed to block 2426 and notifythe user of successful completion of the mesh map. If the criteria isnot met at block 2424, then the AR system can end the process 2400 andoptionally notify the user of the failed completion of the mesh map.Additionally or alternatively, the AR system can repeat the blocks 2410through 2424 until the mesh criteria is met at block 2424.

P. Additional Aspects

In a 1st aspect, an augmented reality (AR) system comprises an augmentedreality display system disposed within a physical environment, whereinthe augmented reality display system captures data pertaining to thephysical environment, and a server comprising a processor to receive thecaptured data from the individual augmented reality display system andto construct or retrieve at least a portion of a map of the real worldcomprising the physical location based at least in part on the receivedcaptured data.

In a 2nd aspect, the AR system of aspect 1, wherein the captured datacomprises depth data (such as collected from a depth sensor coupled tothe augmented reality display system) that can be indicative of theuser's position relative to the physical environment.

In a 3rd aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-2, wherein thecaptured data comprises signed distance field values for a digital mapof the physical environment. The digital map can be a mesh map, a sparsemap, or a dense map.

In a 4th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-3, wherein thecaptured data comprises a pre-loaded or created digital map of thephysical environment at that location.

In a 5th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-4, wherein theaugmented reality display system creates a bounding box around the user.

In a 6th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-5, wherein the ARsystem of any of aspects 1-2, the bounding box is a cuboid encapsulationaround the user comprising virtual surfaces.

In a 7th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-6, wherein thebounding box is a fixed volume encompassing the user.

In an 8th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-6, wherein thebounding box has a dynamic volume, such that as the user receivescaptured data the bounding box expands to encapsulate digital marker(s)associated with that captured data (for example, a surface element(surfel) of a sparse point representing a physical space in the physicalenvironment.

In a 9th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-8, wherein aplurality of waypoints are projected to predetermined positions on thevirtual surfaces of a bounding box.

In a 10th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-9, wherein a user isprompted to observe at least one waypoint within the plurality of thewaypoints.

In a 11th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-10, wherein asequential observation of the plurality of waypoints ensures theaugmented reality display system has captured enough data points toeither construct a mesh map of the physical environment or confirm apre-loaded map is the correct one for the physical environment orconfirm a position of the augmented reality display system within apre-loaded map.

In a 12th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-11, wherein thesequential observation is such that a user operating the augmentedreality display system is prompted to observe a first waypoint of theplurality of waypoints.

In a 13th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-12, wherein thefirst waypoint is that waypoint closest to the center of the augmentedreality display system screen (e.g., the physical display through withthe user is looking) at the time the bounding box is first created.

In a 14th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-13, wherein the nextwaypoint in the sequential observation is the waypoint with the smallestEuclidean distance from the center of the screen to the waypoint centeron the virtual surface of the bounding box.

In a 15th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-14, wherein thereare twenty one total waypoints in the sequence.

In a 16th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-15, wherein fivewaypoints are on the lower virtual surface of the bounding box.

In a 17th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-16, wherein fourwaypoints are on the upper virtual surface of the bounding box.

In an 18th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-17, wherein threewaypoints are on the side virtual surfaces of the bounding box.

In a 19th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 1-18, wherein adigital map is constructed as the sequential observation is conducted.

In a 20th aspect, a method of building a map comprises extracting a setof map points from the captured data at each waypoint observation, andwherein the set of map points are used to construct the digital map ofthe physical environment world.

In a 21st aspect, the method of aspect 20, wherein the captured datacomprises pose information of the augmented reality display systems,wherein the map is constructed based at least in part on the poseinformation.

In a 22nd aspect, a space-based sensor system comprises: at least onesensor to capture information pertaining to a space, wherein a pose ofthe image sensor relative to the space is known, and a processor toreceive the captured information, and to construct a map of the worldcomprising the space based at least in part on the captured information,and to transmit the map to one or more augmented reality display systemssuch that virtual content is displayed to one or more users of theaugmented reality display systems based at least on the constructed map.

In a 22nd aspect, the space-based sensor system of aspect 21, whereinthe at least one sensor is an image-based sensor.

In a 23rd aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-22,wherein the at least one sensor is an audio sensor.

In a 24th aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-23,wherein the at least one sensor is an environmental sensor.

In a 25th aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-24,wherein the at least one sensor is a temperature-based sensor.

In a 26th aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-25,wherein the at least one sensor is a humidity-based sensor.

In a 27th aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-26,wherein the pose comprises a position of the at least one sensor withinthe room.

In a 28th aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-27,wherein the information is captured with respect to a reference framecorresponding to the space.

In a 29th aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-28,wherein the pose comprises an orientation of the at least one sensorwithin the room.

In a 30th aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-29,wherein the space-based sensor system is stationary.

In a 31st aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-30,wherein the processor performs one or more transformations to relate areference frame of the space-based sensor to the reference framecorresponding to the space.

In a 32nd aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-31,wherein the transformation comprises a translation matrix.

In a 33rd aspect, the space-based sensor system of any of aspects 21-32,wherein the transformation comprises a rotation matrix.

In a 34th aspect, an augmented reality (AR) system comprises a passableworld model comprising a set of map points corresponding to one or moreobjects of the real world, and a processor to communicate with one ormore individual augmented reality display systems to pass a piece of thepassable world to the one or more individual augmented reality displaysystems, wherein the piece of the passable world is passed based atleast in part on respective locations corresponding to the one or moreindividual augmented reality display systems.

In a 35rd aspect, the AR system of aspect 34, wherein at least a portionof the passable world model resides in the one or more individualaugmented reality display systems.

In a 36th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 34-35, wherein atleast a portion of the passable world model resides in a cloud-basedserver.

In a 37th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 34-36, wherein thepassable world is constantly updated based at least in part oninformation received from the one or more individual augmented realitydisplay systems.

In a 38th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 34-37, wherein acommunication between the passable world model and the individualaugmented reality systems is asynchronous.

In a 39th aspect, a method comprises detecting a location of a user ofan augmented reality display system, retrieving, based on the detectedlocation, data pertaining to the detected location of the user of theaugmented reality display system, wherein the data pertaining to thedetected location comprises map points corresponding to one or more realobjects of the detected location, and displaying one or more virtualobjects to the user of the augmented reality display system relative tothe one or more real objects of the location, based at least in part onthe retrieved data.

In a 40th aspect, the method of aspect 39, wherein the method furthercomprises determining a set of parameters corresponding to a movement ofthe user of the augmented reality system relative to the detectedlocation, calculating, based on the determined movement of the user, ananticipated position of the user, and retrieving another data pertainingto the anticipated position of the user, wherein the other datapertaining to the anticipated position comprises map pointscorresponding to one or more real objects of the anticipated position.

In a 41st aspect, the method of any of aspects 39-40, wherein the mappoints corresponding to one or more real objects are used to construct amap of the real world.

In a 42nd aspect, the method of any of aspects 39-41, wherein methodfurther comprises recognizing one or more objects of the real worldbased on the map points.

In a 43rd aspect, the method of any of aspects 39-42, wherein the mappoints are used to create a coordinate space of the real world, andwherein the one or more virtual objects are displayed based on thecreated coordinate space of the real world.

In a 44rd aspect, the method of any of aspects 39-43, wherein the methodfurther comprises recognizing one or more objects of the real worldbased on the map points, and displaying the virtual object based atleast in part on a property of the recognized object.

In a 45th aspect, the method of any of aspects 39-44, wherein the mappoints pertain to a geometry of the detected location.

In a 46th aspect, a method of displaying augmented reality comprisesstoring a passable world model data, wherein the passable world modeldata comprises a set of points pertaining to real objects of thephysical world, wherein the set of points are captured by a plurality ofaugmented reality display systems, processing the passable world modeldata to recognize at least one object based at least in part on a knowngeometry of an object, and displaying a virtual content to a user of aparticular augmented reality display system based at least in part on aparameter corresponding to the recognized object.

In a 47th aspect, an augmented reality system comprises one or moresensors of a head-mounted augmented reality display system to capture aset of data pertaining to a user of the head-mounted augmented realitydisplay system, wherein a pose of the one or more sensors is knownrelative to the user, a processor to calculate a set of parametersregarding a movement of the user based at least in part on the capturedset of data, and animating an avatar based at least in part on thecalculated set of parameters regarding the movement of the user, whereinthe animated avatar is displayed as a virtual object when viewed throughone or more augmented reality display systems.

In a 48th aspect, an augmented reality (AR) system comprises a databaseto store a set of waypoints corresponding to a plurality of locations ona bounding box, wherein the waypoint data is a uniquely positionedvirtual location on the bounding box, one or more sensorscommunicatively coupled to an augmented reality display system capturedata when directed to a particular location, and a processor configuredto capture data with a first sensor when a second sensor detects awaypoint.

In a 49th aspect, the AR system of aspect 48, wherein the method furthercomprises constructing a geometry of one or more objects based at leastin part on the one or more map points collected concurrent withobservation of a waypoint.

In a 50th aspect, the AR system of any of aspects 48-49, wherein thecaptured set of map points are extracted from one or more imagescaptured through the augmented reality system.

In a 51st aspect, a method of displaying augmented reality comprisescapturing a set of map points from the real world through a plurality ofaugmented reality systems, and constructing a geometric map of the realworld based at least in part on the captured set of map points, whereina node of a geometric map comprises a keyframe that captured at least afirst set of map points, and a strength of a connection between twonodes of the geometric map corresponds to a number of shared map pointsbetween the two nodes.

In a 52nd aspect, the method of aspect 51, wherein the method furthercomprises identifying a point of stress in the constructed geometricmap.

In a 53rd aspect, the method of any of aspects 51-52, wherein the pointof stress is identified based at least in part on information retrievedfrom a topological map.

In a 54th aspect, the method of any of aspects 51-53, wherein the pointof stress is identified based at least in part on a discrepancy in alocation of a particular keyframe in relation to the geometric map.

In a 55th aspect, the method of any of aspects 51-54, wherein the pointof stress is identified based on a maximum residual error of thegeometric map.

In a 56th aspect, the method of any of aspects 51-55, wherein a keyframeis the position and orientation of the augmented reality display systemconcurrent with observing a waypoint.

In a 57th aspect, an augmented reality (AR) system comprising: an ARdisplay configured to present virtual content to a user of the ARsystem; an outward facing camera configured to capture one or moreimages of an environment of the user; and a hardware processor incommunication with the AR display and the outward facing camera, thehardware processor programmed to: generate a three-dimensional (3D)bounding box within the user's environment based on at least one imagecaptured by the outward facing camera; determine a first waypointlocation on a first surface of the 3D bounding box; determine a secondwaypoint location on a second surface of the 3D bounding box; generate aguidance indicator configured to direct the user to move the outwardfacing camera to point at the first or the second waypoint location;capture map data at the first or the second waypoint location; andgenerate a mesh map based at least partly on the map data using one ormore object recognizers, wherein the mesh map comprises a virtualrepresentation of at a portion of the user's physical environment.

In a 58th aspect, the system of aspect 57, wherein the 3D bounding boxcomprises a cuboid.

In a 59th aspect, the system of aspect 57, wherein the 3D bounding boxcomprises an ellipsoid.

In a 60th aspect, the system of aspect 59, wherein the ellipsoidincludes the first surface and the second surface. For example, thefirst surface can include a portion of the ellipsoid in front of theuser. In another example, the second surface can include a portion ofthe ellipsoid behind the user.

In a 61st aspect, the system of aspect 57, wherein the 3D bounding boxhas an origin within the user's environment at the AR display.

In a 62nd aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-61, wherein thehardware processer is programmed to include a body of the user withinthe 3D bounding box.

In a 63rd aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-62, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to include at least a portion of themesh map within the 3D bounding box.

In a 64th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-63, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to determine a representation of afirst waypoint at the first waypoint location and cause to render thefirst waypoint by the AR display.

In a 65th aspect, the system of aspect 64, wherein the representation ofthe first waypoint comprises a ring surrounding an eye graphic.

In a 66th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-65, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to determine a representation of thesecond waypoint at the second waypoint location and cause to render thesecond waypoint on the AR display.

In a 67th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-66, wherein thehardware processor is configured to: determine the first waypointlocation at an approximately 0 degree angle from an initial facingdirection of the outward facing camera; determine the second waypointlocation at an approximately 90 degree azimuthal angle from the initialfacing direction of the outward facing camera; determine a thirdwaypoint location at an approximately 180 degree azimuthal angle fromthe initial facing direction of the outward facing camera; determine afourth waypoint location at an approximately 270 degree azimuthal anglefrom the initial facing direction of the outward facing camera;determine a fifth waypoint location at an approximately 90 degree polarangle from the initial facing direction of the outward facing camera;and determine a sixth waypoint location at an approximately 270 degreepolar angle from the initial facing direction of the outward facingcamera.

In a 68th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-67, wherein theguidance indicator comprises a graphic.

In a 69th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-68, wherein thegraphic comprises a ring and chevron.

In a 70th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-69, wherein theguidance indicator comprises haptic feedback.

In a 71st aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-70, wherein theguidance indicator comprises audio.

In a 72nd aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-71, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to determine a nearest waypointlocation of the first and second waypoint locations and wherein theguidance indicator is configured to direct the user to move the outwardfacing camera to observe the nearest waypoint location.

In a 73rd aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-72, wherein todetermine a nearest waypoint location, the hardware processor isprogrammed to: determine a first Euclidean distance between a currentorientation of the outward facing camera and the first waypointlocation; determine a second Euclidean distance between the currentorientation of the outward facing camera and the second waypointlocation; select the first waypoint location if the first Euclideandistance is smaller than the second Euclidean distance; and select thesecond waypoint location if the second Euclidean distance is smallerthan the first Euclidean distance.

In a 74th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-73, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to determine if the mesh map iscomplete.

In a 75th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-74, wherein thehardware processor is configured to notify the user, in response to thedetermination if the mesh map is complete, that the mesh map iscomplete.

In a 76th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-75, wherein thehardware processor is configured to notify the user, in response to thedetermination if the mesh map is complete, that the mesh map isincomplete.

In a 77th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-76, wherein todetermine if the mesh map is complete, the hardware processor isprogrammed to determine a quality of the map data.

In a 78th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-77, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to periodically capture map data untila completion condition is met.

In a 79th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-78, wherein thecompletion condition comprises an amount of time.

In an 80th aspect, the system of any of aspects 57-79, wherein theamount of time comprises approximately 5 seconds.

In an 81st aspect, a method comprising: under control of an augmentedreality (AR) device comprising a hardware processor and an AR displayconfigured to present virtual content in an environment of a user:determining a three-dimensional (3D) region within a user's environmentbased on at least one image captured by an outward facing cameraassociated with the AR display system; determining a first waypointlocation on a first surface of the 3D region; determining a secondwaypoint location on a second surface of the 3D region; generating aguidance indicator configured to direct the user to move the outwardfacing camera to point at the first or second waypoint location;capturing map data at the first or second waypoint location; andgenerating a mesh map based on the map data using one or more objectrecognizers, wherein the mesh map comprises a virtual representation ofthe user's environment.

In an 82nd aspect, an augmented reality (AR) system comprising: an ARdisplay configured to present virtual content to a user of the ARsystem; an outward facing camera configured to capture one or moreimages of the user's environment; and a hardware processor incommunication with the AR display and the outward facing camera, thehardware processor programmed to: receive at least one image of the oneor more images captured by the outward facing camera; determine a threedimensional (3D) region within the user's environment to map based onthe at least one image; generate a plurality of waypoints, each of theplurality of waypoints comprising at least one visual indicator having aspatial location in the 3D region; and cause the AR display to render aguidance visual, wherein the guidance visual is configured to direct theuser to move the image capture device towards a first waypoint of theplurality of waypoints.

In an 83rd aspect, a method comprising: under control of an augmentedreality (AR) device comprising a hardware processor and an AR displayconfigured to present virtual content in an environment of a user:receiving at least one image of the one or more images captured by theoutward facing camera; determining a three dimensional (3D) regionwithin the user's environment to map based on the at least one image;generating a plurality of waypoints, each of the plurality of waypointscomprising at least one visual indicator having a spatial location inthe 3D region; and causing the AR display to render a guidance visual,wherein the guidance visual is configured to direct the user to move theimage capture device towards a first waypoint of the plurality ofwaypoints.

Any of the above aspects can be combined with any of the other aspectsor any of the other features described in this application. The aspectsare not intended to exclude additional elements described herein. Allpossible combinations and subcombinations of the aspects, with orwithout additional features described herein, are contemplated andconsidered part of this disclosure.

Q. Other Considerations

Each of the processes, methods, and algorithms described herein ordepicted in the attached figures may be embodied in, and fully orpartially automated by, code modules executed by one or more physicalcomputing systems, hardware computer processors, application-specificcircuitry, or electronic hardware configured to execute specific andparticular computer instructions. For example, computing systems caninclude general purpose computers (e.g., servers) programmed withspecific computer instructions or special purpose computers, specialpurpose circuitry, and so forth. A code module may be compiled andlinked into an executable program, installed in a dynamic link library,or may be written in an interpreted programming language. In someimplementations, particular operations and methods may be performed bycircuitry that is specific to a given function.

Further, certain implementations of the functionality of the presentdisclosure are sufficiently mathematically, computationally, ortechnically complex that application-specific hardware or one or morephysical computing devices (utilizing appropriate specialized executableinstructions) may be necessary to perform the functionality, forexample, due to the volume or complexity of the calculations involved orto provide results substantially in real-time. For example, animationsor video may include many frames, with each frame having millions ofpixels, and specifically programmed computer hardware is necessary toprocess the video data to provide a desired image processing task orapplication in a commercially reasonable amount of time.

Code modules or any type of data may be stored on any type ofnon-transitory computer-readable medium, such as physical computerstorage including hard drives, solid state memory, random access memory(RAM), read only memory (ROM), optical disc, volatile or non-volatilestorage, combinations of the same or the like. The methods and modules(or data) may also be transmitted as generated data signals (e.g., aspart of a carrier wave or other analog or digital propagated signal) ona variety of computer-readable transmission mediums, includingwireless-based and wired/cable-based mediums, and may take a variety offorms (e.g., as part of a single or multiplexed analog signal, or asmultiple discrete digital packets or frames). The results of thedisclosed processes or process steps may be stored, persistently orotherwise, in any type of non-transitory, tangible computer storage ormay be communicated via a computer-readable transmission medium.

Any processes, blocks, states, steps, or functionalities in flowdiagrams described herein or depicted in the attached figures should beunderstood as potentially representing code modules, segments, orportions of code which include one or more executable instructions forimplementing specific functions (e.g., logical or arithmetical) or stepsin the process. The various processes, blocks, states, steps, orfunctionalities can be combined, rearranged, added to, deleted from,modified, or otherwise changed from the illustrative examples providedherein. In some embodiments, additional or different computing systemsor code modules may perform some or all of the functionalities describedherein. The methods and processes described herein are also not limitedto any particular sequence, and the blocks, steps, or states relatingthereto can be performed in other sequences that are appropriate, forexample, in serial, in parallel, or in some other manner. Tasks orevents may be added to or removed from the disclosed exampleembodiments. Moreover, the separation of various system components inthe implementations described herein is for illustrative purposes andshould not be understood as requiring such separation in allimplementations. It should be understood that the described programcomponents, methods, and systems can generally be integrated together ina single computer product or packaged into multiple computer products.Many implementation variations are possible.

The processes, methods, and systems may be implemented in a network (ordistributed) computing environment. Network environments includeenterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, local area networks (LAN),wide area networks (WAN), personal area networks (PAN), cloud computingnetworks, crowd-sourced computing networks, the Internet, and the WorldWide Web. The network may be a wired or a wireless network or any othertype of communication network.

The systems and methods of the disclosure each have several innovativeaspects, no single one of which is solely responsible or required forthe desirable attributes disclosed herein. The various features andprocesses described above may be used independently of one another ormay be combined in various ways. All possible combinations andsubcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of thisdisclosure. Various modifications to the implementations described inthis disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, andthe generic principles defined herein may be applied to otherimplementations without departing from the spirit or scope of thisdisclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to theimplementations or embodiments shown herein but are to be accorded thewidest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles and thenovel features disclosed herein.

Certain features that are described in this specification in the contextof separate implementations or embodiments also can be implemented incombination in a single implementation or embodiment. Conversely,various features that are described in the context of a singleimplementation or embodiment also can be implemented in multipleimplementations or embodiments separately or in any suitablesubcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above asacting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, oneor more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excisedfrom the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination. No single feature orgroup of features is necessary or indispensable to each and everyembodiment.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements or steps.Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply thatfeatures, elements or steps are in any way required for one or moreembodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logicfor deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether thesefeatures, elements or steps are included or are to be performed in anyparticular embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,”and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-endedfashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts,operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusivesense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example,to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all ofthe elements in the list. In addition, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the”as used in this application and the appended claims are to be construedto mean “one or more” or “at least one” unless specified otherwise.

As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of itemsrefers to any combination of those items, including single members. Asan example, “at least one of: A, B, or C” is intended to cover: A, B, C,A and B, A and C, B and C, and A, B, and C. Conjunctive language such asthe phrase “at least one of X, Y and Z,” unless specifically statedotherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in generalto convey that an item, term, etc. may be at least one of X, Y or Z.Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply thatcertain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y and atleast one of Z to each be present.

Similarly, while operations may be depicted in the drawings in aparticular order, it is to be recognized that such operations need notbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. Further, the drawings may schematically depict one or moreexample processes in the form of a flowchart. However, other operationsthat are not depicted can be incorporated in the example methods andprocesses that are schematically illustrated. For example, one or moreadditional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, orbetween any of the illustrated operations. Additionally, the operationsmay be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. In certaincircumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.Moreover, the separation of various system components in theimplementations described above should not be understood as requiringsuch separation in all implementations, and it should be understood thatthe described program components and systems can generally be integratedtogether in a single software product or packaged into multiple softwareproducts. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope ofthe following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claimscan be performed in a different order and still achieve desirableresults.

What is claimed is:
 1. An augmented reality (AR) system comprising: anAR display configured to present virtual content to a user of the ARsystem; an outward facing camera configured to capture one or moreimages of an environment of the user; and a hardware processor incommunication with the AR display and the outward facing camera, thehardware processor programmed to: generate a virtual three-dimensional(3D) bounding area; determine a first waypoint location on a surface ofthe 3D bounding area; display a first waypoint at the first waypointlocation on the surface of the 3D bounding area; generate and display aguidance indicator on or near the surface of the 3D bounding areaconfigured to direct the user to move the outward facing camera to pointtoward the first waypoint location; capture one or more images of aphysical environment of the user when the outward facing camera ispointed toward the first waypoint location; and update or generate amesh map based at least partly on the captured images, wherein the meshmap comprises a virtual representation of a physical environment of theuser.
 2. The AR system of claim 1, wherein the outward facing camera isgenerally oriented to correspond to an observation direction of theuser, and wherein the guidance indicator is displayed in generalalignment with the observation direction.
 3. The AR system of claim 2,wherein the guidance indicator is a virtual reticle.
 4. The AR system ofclaim 2, wherein the guidance indicator includes a guiding graphicconfigured to inform the user where the first waypoint location isrelative to the guidance indicator.
 5. The AR system of claim 4, whereinthe guiding graphic is depicted as an arrow oriented towards the firstwaypoint location.
 6. The AR system of claim 2, wherein the guidanceindicator follows the observation direction of the user.
 7. The ARsystem of claim 6, wherein the hardware processor is configured tocapture the one or more images of the physical environment of the userwhen the guidance indicator is aligned with the first waypoint in whichthe outward facing camera is pointed toward the first waypoint location.8. The AR system of claim 7, wherein, upon capturing the one or moreimage of the physical environment when the outward facing camera ispointed towards the first waypoint location, the hardware processor isconfigured to generate and display a success graphic on or near thesurface of the 3D bounding area.
 9. The AR system of claim 8, whereinthe hardware processor is configured to replace the display of the firstwaypoint with the success graphic upon the capturing the one or moreimage of the physical environment when the outward facing camera ispointed towards the first waypoint location.
 10. The AR system of claim7, wherein, upon the updating or generating of the mesh map based atleast partly on the captured images, the hardware processor isconfigured to project a graphical representation of the mapped points ofthe mesh map that were successful mapped.
 11. The AR system of claim 7,wherein, upon a failure to capture the one or more image of the physicalenvironment when the outward facing camera is pointed towards the firstwaypoint location, the hardware processor is configured to generate anddisplay a failure graphic on or near the surface of the 3D boundingarea.
 12. The AR system of claim 1, wherein, upon the capturing of theone or more images of a physical environment of the user when theoutward facing camera is pointed toward the first waypoint location, thehardware processor is configured to: determine a second waypointlocation on the surface of the 3D bounding area; display a secondwaypoint at the second waypoint location on the surface of the 3Dbounding area; generate and display a further guidance indicator on ornear the surface of the 3D bounding area configured to direct the userto move the outward facing camera to point toward the second waypointlocation; capture one or more further images of the physical environmentof the user when the outward facing camera is pointed toward the secondwaypoint location; and update the mesh map based at least partly on thefurther captured images.
 13. A non-transitory computer readable mediumhaving software instructions stored thereon, the software instructionsexecutable by a hardware computer processor to cause a computing systemto perform operations comprising: generate a virtual three-dimensional(3D) bounding area; determine a first waypoint location on a surface ofthe 3D bounding area; display a first waypoint at the first waypointlocation on the surface of the 3D bounding area on a display of aheadset including an outward facing camera; generate and display aguidance indicator on or near the surface of the 3D bounding areaconfigured to direct a user to move the outward facing camera to pointtoward the first waypoint location; capture one or more images of aphysical environment of the user when the outward facing camera ispointed toward the first waypoint location; and update or generate amesh map based at least partly on the captured images, wherein the meshmap comprises a virtual representation of a physical environment of theuser.
 14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the outwardfacing camera is generally oriented to correspond to an observationdirection of the user, and wherein the guidance indicator is displayedin general alignment with the observation direction.
 15. The computerreadable medium of claim 14, wherein the guidance indicator includes aguiding graphic configured to inform the user where the first waypointlocation is relative to the guidance indicator.
 16. The computerreadable medium of claim 14, wherein the guidance indicator follows theobservation direction of the user.
 17. The computer readable medium ofclaim 16, wherein the software instructions are configured to cause thecomputing system to capture the one or more images of the physicalenvironment of the user when the guidance indicator is aligned with thefirst waypoint in which the outward facing camera is pointed toward thefirst waypoint location.
 18. The computer readable medium of claim 17,wherein, upon capturing the one or more image of the physicalenvironment when the outward facing camera is pointed towards the firstwaypoint location, the software instructions are further configured tocause the computing system to: generate and display a success graphic onor near the surface of the 3D bounding area.
 19. The computer readablemedium of claim 14, wherein, upon the updating or generating of the meshmap based at least partly on the captured images, the softwareinstructions are further configured to cause the computing system to:project a graphical representation of the mapped points of the mesh mapthat were successful mapped.
 20. The computer readable medium of claim13, wherein, upon the capturing of the one or more images of a physicalenvironment of the user when the outward facing camera is pointed towardthe first waypoint location, the software instructions are furtherconfigured to cause the computing system to: determine a second waypointlocation on the surface of the 3D bounding area; display a secondwaypoint at the second waypoint location on the surface of the 3Dbounding area; generate and display a further guidance indicator on ornear the surface of the 3D bounding area configured to direct the userto move the outward facing camera to point toward the second waypointlocation; capture one or more further images of a physical environmentof the user when the outward facing camera is pointed toward the secondwaypoint location; and update the mesh map based at least partly on thefurther captured images.